


Apotelesma

by RatsAreCute4



Category: Among Us (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Alternate Universe - Scientists, Alternate Universe - Space, Art, Digital Art, Multi, Murder Mystery, Quirks (My Hero Academia), Recreational Drug Use, Science, Science Fiction, no beta we die like most of the characters in this story will (:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27169496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RatsAreCute4/pseuds/RatsAreCute4
Summary: Apotelesma (noun, Greek)- the effect the stars have on the fate of manTwelve young scientist set forth on what is supposed to be a routine mission in space. Then, the murders begin.
Relationships: Ashido Mina & Bakugou Katsuki & Kaminari Denki & Kirishima Eijirou & Sero Hanta, Asui Tsuyu/Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki, Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. Background

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter is just a little bit of background! I hope you read the rest of the story though; I promise it won't all be this boring!

So, this is set in space (obviously) and takes place mostly on a ship called the UA. There are quirks in this au, however, due to gravitational and atmospheric differences, they are weaker in space. Plus, it is generally ill-advised to use a potentially destructive quirk inside of a spaceship.

There are no superheroes. Society has progressed past the need for superheroes.

Despite the fact that superheroes don't exist, quirks are still a huge part of society. The stronger one's quirk is, the higher up in the society this person can be. It is much like how people with lighter skin or people with more money often have more privilege than others. People with flashy and powerful quirks are at the top, while quirkless people are the least privileged. It would be hard for a quirkless person to get a good job or be treated with respect. 

In this Au, space travel/research is a relatively new field, so there are tons of new careers popping up. Being a scientist or the leader of a space mission would be a very important and very well-paying job.

Now, let's move on to some characters, their colours, and what jobs they have.

 **Midoriya** \- Green. He is a quirkless biochemist. He is a diligent crew mate who works hard and is good at analysing others. He doesn't like when people underestimate him bc of his quirklessness. He is also the second quirkless person to go to space.

 **Todoroki** \- Cyan. A biologist with daddy issues. He is a bit of an asshole at first but he just needs therapy. His dad runs the base on Polus. A coffee addict and sugar addict.

 **Bakugou** \- Orange. General chemist. He literally hates that he and Midoriya have to share a workspace. They know eachother because they went to college together. Super loud and always very suspicious. Mean to everyone but somehow still has friends.

 **Uraraka** \- Purple. Navigator/engineer. She is super nice to everyone and usually travels in groups with others. She likes placing bets, but they aren't allowed to have money on ship, so they bet with dehydrated food packets instead.

 **Tsuyu (Dr. Asui)** \- Light green. Doctor. She was originally a pediatrician, so she gives out stickers and lollipops to her patients. They enjoy this greatly.

 **Iida** \- Blue. Captain. He can be a bit uptight while overseeing his crewmates, but is willing to loosen up when with his friends.

 **Kaminari** \- Yellow. Computer scientist. If not for the college degree hanging in communications, you would struggle to believe he is a scientist. He says dumb stuff, is bad at explaining himself, and is often suspicious on accident.

 **Kirishima** \- Red. Weapons specialist/security. A very likeable guy who thinks the security room is creepy so he patrols the ship by foot instead.

 **Sero** \- Brown. Botanist. He insists he isn't growing weed in the greenhouse, but everyone knows that's a lie.

 **Mina** \- Pink. Astronomer. She likes to gossip and mess around. Although no one ever sees her working, she still manages to get work done.

 **Yao-Momo** \- White. Nuclear phycisist/second in command. She is the smartest person on board. She feels like she is constantly overseeing a band of toddlers.

 **Jirou** \- Black. General physicist. She is kind of emo and is always blasting music really loudly. She generally keeps to herself except to make fun of Kaminari or flirt with Yao-Momo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art is mine. You can find me on Tumblr and Instagram as RatsAreCute4


	2. There Are No Milfs In Space

Red lights flashed.

An alarm blared.

Iida Tenya's heart sank with dread as he moved as quickly as possible. His comm tablet said there was an information leak in communications, but then the internet went down completely and he could no longer check up on the ship's stats. He tried to keep his cool, but the horror stories he had heard of alien life forms getting on ships and killing crew members were currently racing through his head. 

If there were an imposter, they could have caused the data leak and the light shut down. This would be the perfect time to strike. As ship captain, he needed to ensure everyone's safety, but now, racing through the dark corridors lit only by the flash of red emergency lights, he couldn't tell where his crew was. Yaoyorozu was with him in admin, but they got separated after the lights went out, and with comms down, he couldn't ask anyone for their location. 

In space, it was hard to use one's quirk. He couldn't run through the ship with the speed he could on Earth, but he was still much faster than the rest of the crew.

Iida pushed himself faster, dodging through boxes and crates in storage. 

"Ah!" He collided with someone and fell on the floor.

"Iida? Is that you?" The person he ran into asked.

"Yes. Midoriya?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I was trying to get to communication. It's a little hard to see."

Iida helped him up. "It's no problem. Come on, comms is this way."

"Okay." 

They began to run again, holding hands so as not to get separated.

"Do you think everyone will be okay? There isn't an imposter...is there? No one will be hurt?" Iida couldn't see Midoriya, but he could tell by the shaking of his voice that he was afraid. 

They rounded the corner and entered communications. Kaminari, the slightly obnoxious yellow-clad computer technician, was in front of the largest computer, frantically typing.

"What's going on? Is this an imposter situation?" Iida asked in his booming 'I'm the captain and I am definitely not scared' voice. 

"No, not an imposter," Kaminari rushed, still typing.

"Then what happened?"

"Can't talk. Sorry! Gotta type!" 

At that moment, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Kirishima all burst in.

"Oh my god, no one's injured are they?" Uraraka, the engineer and navigator asked shrilly. 

"Not as far as I know. Kaminari says it isn't an imposter. He is handling it right now, it looks like," Iida answered.

"Kaminari, what happened?" Kirishima asked him.

"'m typing!" 

"He is busy at the moment," Iida clarified. 

"So, we just wait here 'til he's done?"

"Everyone either stop talking or go in the hallway! I'm concentrating here!" Kaminari burst out, slamming one hand on the desk.

"Sorry," Kirishima apologised in a whisper.

They stayed silent and listened to the sound of Kaminari's frantic typing and the emergency alarms blaring in the hallway.

"Okay! Everyone's here! Cool!" Mina burst into the room, Dr. Asui- no, Tsuyu- in tow.

Everyone in the room collectively shushed her.

A few minutes passed. Eventually, the alarm stopped blaring and the lights stopped flashing, leaving them in a darkness illuminated only by the weak shining of the flashlight Yaoyorozu brought with her. The energy in the room was tense and frigid. Iida could feel the air move whenever someone so much as fidgeted.

Finally, after what could have been hours or even minutes, the lights flashed back on. Mina let out a startled scream, but quickly covered her mouth. 

"Alrighty guys, I just fixed this bad boy up again!" Kaminari turned around, dusting off his hands and then lightly smacking his palm to the top of the computer.

"Care to explain what happened?" Yaoyorozu asked, turning her flashlight off.

"So, huh, this is like a really funny story, I swear. I just um… no one be mad at me? Please?"

"What did you do, Kaminari?"

"So I was doing stuff, you know, the usual." Yaoyorozu gave him a look, and he clarified, "I had nothing to do at the moment so I was reading up about Moth Man. Yao-Momo, you like reading, right? It's the first time I've read that much in years! You should be happy!"

"Can you please get to the point?" Iida finally cut in.

"Yes, I just needed to give you guys some background, okay? I went to this one web page, and as I was reading, this ad popped up. It said… ugh! This is embarrassing! It said ‘hot milfs in your area’.” His voice raised a pitch on the last words and he blushed deeply, turning away.

Mina burst into laughter, “oh my god! You looked- oh geez- you clicked a porn ad and gave the ship a virus!” 

“I didn’t! Well, actually, I kind of did, but it wasn’t because I wanted to see porn! I just was confused ‘cause you know, we’re in the middle of space and all. I just wanted to know _how_ there were supposed to be hot milfs in our area! How did the milfs get in space!? I’m not a pervert, I just wanted to prove that the ad wasn’t real!” Kaminari tried to defend himself, waving his hands this way and that.

“So, you took care of the virus then?” Iida interrupted his rant.

“Yeah. It’s gone. It was a dumb virus anyways. Super easy to destroy.”

“Okay. Everyone get back to your tasks now, and no more watching porn.”

“I SAID I WASN'T WATCHING PORN! I JUST WANTED TO KNOW _WHERE ARE THE MILFS_!”

Iida walked back to admin. He was sure if he heard the word “milf” again, he would just throw himself into space. This was a complete waste of time, and a waste of his energy too.

He entered admin and sat in the comfy red chair in front of his desk. He had accidentally smacked his computer to the ground when the alarms started blaring, but when he picked it up, it seemed fine. He went back to work.

He checked his inbox, going through all his emails. He had a new one from headquarters. The organization they worked for was the Space Sciences, Exploration, and Transportation Center, or SSETC. It was a worldwide organization that funded space travel. They would select teams of technicians, scientists, and other qualified individuals to travel on a ship together and check out different planets. The SSETC also had headquarter buildings on several different planets, as well as a colony on Mars. Everyone on his ship right now, the UA, had just been appointed by the SSETC last year, including him. This was their first mission, and he was determined to make it a successful one.

He clicked on the email and read it quickly. They wanted him to make a stop at Polus Outpost, located onPolus, which was a planet not too far away. It was owned and operated by the famous space explorer, Enji Todoroki. Apparently, they had just assigned a couple new crew members to the UA. That made sense. Standard crews had twelve people, and the UA currently had eight. 

He set up his comm tablet, finding Uraraka’s name and pressing on it. He tapped the call button.

“Hello!” She answered.

“Hello! I just got an email from the SSETC. They want us to chart a course to Polus. We are picking us some new crew members.”

“Ah, nice! I’ll do that. Have a good day!”

“You too.” 

He leaned back in the chair, checking his other emails.

* * *

“Good news dudes and dudette! SSETC just emailed! We got assigned to a ship!” Sero, a botanist who wore a brown spacesuit, burst into the room.

“Good. I’m fucking tired of sitting here doing nothing,” Bakugo, an asshole chemist in orange barked. 

“Do we know when the ship is arriving?” Jirou, a physicist whose black spacesuit really fit her emo personality, asked.

“Yeah, tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go pack my stuff up then” Jirou walked out the break room.

“Wait, it says here that they already have a chemist?” Sero said, confused, as he reread the email.

“WHAT? LET ME SEE IT!” Bakugou yanked the comm tablet out of Sero’s hands, despite the fact that he could’ve just opened the email up on his own tablet. 

“THAT SAYS BIOCHEMIST YOU IDIOT! IT ISN’T THE SAME AS A CHEMIST.”

“Okay, calm down there dude.” Sero reached out to pat him on the head, but he jerked away. 

The door to the boy’s dorms opened up. Todoroki, a biologist dressed in cyan pajamas that matched the spacesuit he normally wore, stepped out, rubbing sleep from his eyes,“Can you please be quiet. I’m trying to sleep.”

“Sorry!” Sero apologised, despite not being the one who was loud. “We just finally got assigned to a ship. They’re coming here tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.”

“Are you not excited?!”

“I am excited,” Todoroki deadpanned, closing the dorm door and walking towards the coffee machine. 

“O-okay!” Sero was visibly confused.

Todoroki poured coffee into a mug, and then put _way_ too many sugar cubes into it. He sat down at the table furthest from Sero and Bakugou. Bakugou looked like he was about to explode. Every little thing made him angry.

“Why do you have such a stick up your ass?!” Bakugou finally burst, slamming his hands on the table.

“I have nothing in my ass. Thank you for asking, though.” He took a sip of coffee.

“Ugh! I’m gonna murder you Icy-Hot!” Bakugou attempted to climb over the table and towards the other man, but Sero grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Man, chill. What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM! HE KEEPS ACTING ALL BETTER THAN US! LIKE HE’S MORE IMPORTANT OR SOMETHING! LET ME GO AND LET ME PUNCH THE SMUG LITTLE GRIN OFF THAT MOTHERFUCKER’S FACE!”

“I’m going to go back into my room,” Todoroki stood up, taking his coffee with him. “Bye-bye.” He closed the door behind him as he entered the dorm.

“ _MY_ ROOM? OH HE REALLY THINKS THAT IS JUST _HIS_ ROOM? EXPLAIN WHY _OUR_ BEDS ARE IN THERE!” Bakugou yelled from outside the door, but he didn’t come in, thankfully. 

Truth be told, Todoroki didn't mean to be so rude, but he was just A) tired because they woke him up and he only slept for an hour last night, and B) currently filled with so much hatred for himself and his father that it was a wonder he hadn't gone mad and started ax-murdering people yet. He sat on his cot which was in the corner of his room and hidden slightly by a dresser (He didn't like being out in the open) and drank his coffee. 

Last night, he was staying up late in the lab finishing up some research on a microbe they had found in Polus's upper atmosphere which was similar to phytoplankton. His father walked in while he had just finished up. Todoroki tended to avoid his father at any chance possible, but that was hard to do in the small base. However, as a child, he did find quite a few hiding spots in the private corner of the base where his family lived. 

Now, however, he couldn't hide. His father didn't hit him anymore, not like he used to, which was good, but he still felt angry every time he saw his father. This was especially true whenever his father mocked him or threatened to hurt him. He never followed through on these threats, but the memory of the beatings he took as a child were enough to scare him anyways. The worst thing was that his father acted perfect and loving when other people were around, but either ignored him or belittled him in private.

_"Shouto! How are you doing?" His father had asked, putting on his perfect father facade because there was a janitor cleaning glass on the other side of the lab._

_"Fine." He had said a bit too harshly._

_"No need to be in such a bad mood. What are you doing?"_

_"I'm working. Go away." This had been the wrong thing to say, because his father decided to pull out the "I'm going to make you look like an asshole son in front of people" card._

_"Shouto, your mother and I did not teach you to treat people like that." This was something his father knew what get under his skin, but no matter how he replied, he was going to look bad._

_"Don't talk about my mom," he hissed, slamming his lab notebook closed._

_The janitor across the lab gave a little chuckle as Todoroki stormed out the door. "Ah, the joys of parenting!" His father had laughed in agreement, as though he actually knows anything about parenting._

This interaction was short and it wasn't even near the worst thing his father had ever done to him, but it still left him stewing in anger until he finally fell asleep around breakfast time. He was frustrated with his father for making him angry, and frustrated with _himself_ for being angry at his father.

Now, he wanted to call his mom. She was in a mental hospital on Earth, which Todoroki had only ever been to once. He was on Earth for a college field trip, and out of nowhere he had decided to visit his mother. Now, they often called each other, no matter what time it was on the other's planet.

He took out his tablet and pressed the call button, scrolling down until he found her name. Soon, her face popped up on the tablet's screen.

"Hi mom, I've missed you," he said, waving at her. 

"I've missed you too! How have things been?"

"Well, I'm finally assigned to a mission. We are boarding the ship tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the art is mine! Make sure to follow me on Tumblr and Instagram if you want to 👉👈


	3. People Are Gay, Shouto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of feeling nauseous, light gore, death, sort of mentions of homophobia(?)

Polus's atmosphere was mostly oxygen, due to the phytoplankton-like bacteria that lived all over the upper atmosphere. One could go outside without a helmet, though this was inadvisable due to the below freezing temperatures and the fact that it seemed to be snowing all the time. Shouto sometimes went out without a helmet because he could warm himself with his quirk, (which worked to its full extent on both Polus and Earth, but never on spacecraft) but he didn't do it often. Anytime he started a fire out there, he would accidentally make mini explosions because of how oxygen-saturated the air was. Plus, he didn't like going outside much anyways. It always seemed to be nightime out there, and it kind of gave him the creeps.

Right now, even with the full suit on, he was shaking. It was wintertime, which meant snow was falling so hard he couldn't see in front of himself. 

He, Jirou, Sero, and Bakugou were waiting under an overhang for their assigned ship, the UA, to arrive. Shouto was born on the Polus base and had lived there his whole life, but Jirou, Sero, and Bakugou were all from Earth. They were sent to Polus to wait for a ship assignment, and now, here they all were, watching the shiny metal spaceship slowly lower to the landing pad, sending snow flying in every direction.

"They better fucking hurry up," Bakugou's voice crackles through his headset.

"I know! It's freezing out here!" Sero agreed. "I bet if I tried peeing it would freeze into an icicle!"

"Please for the love of all that is holy, shut up," Jirou groaned, slapping Sero's arm. He chuckled and rubbed the spot she hit, more out of show than because it actually hurt.

"Todoroki, are you nervous to leave? I mean, you said you've only ever left Polus once," Jirou redirected the conversation in case Sero started trying to talk about anything related to urine again. 

"I don't know."

"Okay." There was an awkward silence. Shouto just really didn't like talking to people, so he never tried to start conversations and always kept his answers brief. This led to people getting the impression that he was rude, but he didn't really care. He didn't need friends and he most certainly didn't  _ want  _ friends, so what was the point of leaving a good impression?

The ship finally settled onto the landing pad with a loud boom and an awful scrape.

"Shit," Bakugou spoke the word they were all thinking. They knew that the ship was going to be full of amateurs just like them, but they didn't expect whoever was piloting to just let the ship fall onto the pad. Surely that must have caused some damage? 

The ship's metal creeked as a hatch slowly opened up. Light spilled from the doorway, and a few people stepped out.

They walked towards the doorway, stumbling in the snow.

Shouto got close enough to sort of see the people. One of them, the tallest one, mimicked messing with his headset. Shouto took this as a sign to switch to their radio frequency. He messed with the headset for a moment before he heard the crackle of a radio frequency that is in use. 

"Hello. Come into the ship please. Have you packed your essentials? We unfortunately are low stocked on things such as toothbrushes. We would have restocked here, but Captain Todoroki Enji said that he is also low stocked," he heard the man say. Shouto knew this was a lie. They had plenty of supplies on Polus Base, his father just didn't want to share with a ship full of amateurs. 

They all entered the ship. The lights were almost blinding compared to the dark storm-sky outside. Shouto blinked away the spots in his vision as he twisted off his helmet. He ran a gloved hand through his hair to fix the stray pieces that were tangled up by the helmet. He didn't like it when the red half and the white half mixed, because it always looked terribly messy. The man who was talking earlier, dressed in blue, gestured for them to exit the airlock room and enter the corridor. The lights were a bit dim, and the metal walls a bit dented, but the ship was good enough to live on, it looked like. They entered a large cafeteria, similar to the one back on Polus Base. 

Several people were sitting at the tables, and they all stood up to greet the newcomers.

"GET ME OFF OF THIS SPACESHIP RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!" Bakugou suddenly shouted, startling everyone.

The man in blue opened his mouth, presumably to ask why, but Bakugou cut him off, continuing to shout. 

"Kacchan?" A man dressed in green asked suddenly, coming closer and waving. "Wow! Who would have known we would be assigned our first mission together!" The man was slightly shorter than Shouto, and he had curly green hair and freckles dotting his tan skin. He was… cute.

"What is going on? You know each other?" The man in blue asked. Shouto squinted at his nametag, trying to read his name. It said Captain Iida Tenya.

"Yeah, we were college roommates. This is so great! I really missed you, Kacchan. Why didn't you answer me when I kept trying to contact you?"

"See? This is why I can't be in this ship! This fucking nerd Deku is clingy as shit and I hate him!" Bakugou started walking back towards the airlock, but Iida grabbed him by the material of his spacesuit.

"I'm afraid you cannot exit the ship. Not only has the ship taken off already, but you have been assigned to this mission and it is your responsibility to follow through with it. I do not care whatever "beef" as they say, you have with each other. It is your duty to get along with all of your fellow crew mates. Is that understood?" Iida was surrounded by an aura of authority. He seemed like a good captain.

"I- fine! But can Deku find someone else to cling too? I don't want someone breathing down my neck every second of the day!" Bakugou huffed, cheeks glowing red.

Jirou elbowed Shouto and whispered,"looks like someone finally figured out how to get rid of his chronic bitch disease." Shouto almost laughed. Bakugou reminded him far too much of his father, and any joke at his expense was at least a little funny.

"Sorry about that!" Iida turned back to the other three newcomers. "Do know that rude behaviour isn't tolerated here. Now, how about we introduce everyone. My name is Iida and I am the ship captain. How about you introduce yourselves first?"

"What up, I'm Sero and I am a botanist. I like to think I'm pretty chill though." Sero went first, flashing one of his signature pure-white smiles.

"I am Jirou. I am the ship's general physicist," Jirou waved.

"My name isn't Kacchan, so don't call me that!" Bakugou started off as aggressive as usual. "I'm Bakugou Katsuki, I'm a chemist, and I'm better than all of you dimwits." 

"What about you?" The green-haired man asked Shouto.

"Todoroki Shouto. Biologist." Was his short and to-the-point answer. 

"Wait, you are Enji Todoroki's son? That is so cool!" A girl with pink hair and skin asked.

He just nodded. He didn't like it when people brought up his dad. It was like no matter what, he would be in his father's shadow forever.

"Iida, can I introduce everyone?" The green haired man asked. Iida nodded.

"Hi! I'm Midoriya! I'm the ship's biochemist, and if you ever need any help, you can come to me. I really enjoy making friends."

He pointed to a girl in a purple suit whose hair was so fluffy it seemed almost to float. "This is Uraraka, navigator and engineer. She is super nice." He pointed to a girl in a lime green spacesuit next. "This is Dr Asui-"

"Call me Tsu."

"Sorry, Tsu. She is the physician. She also has a stash of candy and stickers if anyone ever wants some."

"Those are only for people who have been injured, Midoriya."

"You and I both know that isn't true. If you look sad enough, she'll give you some."

"This," he gestured to a man in yellow who was eating horrendously red-coloured chips out of a bag,"Is Kaminari. He is our computer scientist. Just yesterday he downloaded a virus onto the ship's system because he was watching porn."

"I KEEP SAYING IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I NEEDED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE REALLY MILFS IN SPACE!" 

" _ S _ u _ r _ e. This is Mina. She is an astronomer." Midoriya pointed to the pink girl next. She flashed them all a peace sign.

"This is Kirishima, our security guard. He is super strong!" A man dressed in red was next. He jokingly flexed his arms, as though they would be able to see his muscle through the bulky spacesuit.

"And last but not least is Yao-Momo: nuclear physicist and second in command. She is super smart!" A girl in white waved to them. She was wearing lab goggles.

Iida clapped his hands together,"Now that everyone is acquainted, how about we eat lunch? I'll grab the food packets. You know what, I'll make the food too. You guys take this time to talk to each other. Get to know each other better."

He ran off towards a storage area. Shouto stood awkwardly for a moment. He didn't like socialising with people. Before he could sit in the corner table, which was entirely empty, someone settled their hand on his shoulder. "Todoroki, you should eat with us!" He gestured towards a table where Tsu and Uraraka were sitting and chatting. 

Shouto nodded. He didn't really want to, but he didn't want to hurt Midoriya's feelings either. He seemed really nice.

Midoriya pretty much dragged him towards the table, and he sat down straight across from him.

"Hi Todoroki! Just to let you know, Iida usually sits with us, and he will be back on a bit. Also, Momo usually sits here too, but I think she is eating lunch in the lab again," Uraraka greeted him.

"Okay."

"Do you dye your hair, or is it naturally like that?" Tsu asked him.

"I don't dye it. It's from my quirk."

"Oh yeah! I've heard! You make ice from your right side and fire from your left!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Wait, you know about me?"

"Pretty much everyone does. First off, your dad is like one of the top space explorers in the galaxy, and second, you were the first person born outside of Earth or the Moon."

"Oh, I forget sometimes."

Iida came by just then. He was handing out bowls of food. His last stop was their table and he sat down after giving them their food.

Shouto stared at the table as he picked through his ramen, listening to the thrum of conversation around him. He looked up slightly when he heard Uraraka laugh, and he saw that she and Tsu were holding hands. 

Uraraka must have noticed him staring, because she gestured to their intertwined fingers with her fork. "Oh, forgot to mention. We're dating. Hope you're cool with that."

"... Girls can date each other?" Shouto asked in disbelief. 

The entire table exploded into laughter.

"Do they not have gay people on Polus or something?" Midoriya asked.

"Gay people???"

"Oh my god, they really don't." 

"Do not worry, I will explain it to you!" Iida failed his arm in a chopping motion. "Being gay is when someone is attracted to someone of their own gender. Or when they are attracted to both genders, but that is called being bisexual."

"Oh. Thank you." Were gay people rare and that is why he had never heard of them? Or did his father not allow gay people on Polus? He was leaning towards the latter because Midoriya told him that he is a type of gay called pansexual, and that many of the other crewmates were also gay.

  
  


After lunch time, they all went their separate ways to different labs. Apparently, crew mates all help out with maintenance in the mornings, and then do specialized work in the afternoons. The biology lab was shared by Shouto and Sero, but sometimes Midoriya came in. He was technically meant to work in the chemistry lab, as Shouto later learned, but Bakugou had apparently threatened him with one of the bunsen burners, so he was sharing Shouto's space with him until Iida could get out of his work meeting to yell at Bakugou. Midoriya was currently hovering over the computer which was rendering a 3d model of a protein, Shouto was monitoring the cell growth of bacteria in a petri dish, and Sero was in the greenhouse doing who-knows-what. It was relatively quiet save for the soft sound of techno music coming from Midoriya's phone.

"Hey, Todoroki, how are you liking your first day here?" Midoriya asked as he restarted the computer program, which had frozen.

"It is nice. I like your friends." Shouto transferred a drop of water from one of the petri dishes and put it on a microscope slide.

"That's good! Have you picked out a bed in the dorms yet?" Midoriya asked.

"No, not yet."

"Then you should totally share my bunk. I hope it's okay that I have the top bunk?"

"Yes. It's fine."

"Cool!"

They went back to working in silence. The silence was comfy. They didn't feel the urge to talk, they needed only to be in each other's company. Shouto had never felt more comfortable near someone his whole life. Truth be told, he didn't socialize much, and the first person he met who was around his age was Bakugou, and  _ that  _ was an experience, but he didn't expect to feel so at ease around someone he barely knew. Is this what having friends feels like? 

He picked up a pair of tongs and used them to take a glass test tube off of a burner. The tube just contained water, but he was trying to get it at a boiling temperature. He was trying to see how hot the water would have to be to denature the bacteria's enzymes. That could tell them a lot about the bacteria's usual living conditions and what exactly it creates it's enzymes for. Midoriya theorized that the enzymes were made to break down lyxose, which is rarely found in nature, so Shouto decided he would test that later. 

He lifted the test tube in one hand and reached for a heat resistant glove with the other. Too late he realized that his grip on the tongs had faltered and the test tube fell from its grip, spilling its contents on his arm and shattering as it hit the ground.

Midoriya jumped up and ran over as Shouto recoiled at the burn of the water. It hit his right side, which was more sensitive to hot temperatures than his left. He took off his lab coat, taking a look at the burn.

"Oh no, that looks really bad!" Midoriya took a look at the red skin on his arm. "We need to take you to Dr A- I mean Tsu. Come on!" He grabbed Shouto's unburnt arm and dragged him out of the biology lab and down the corridor. 

"It really isn't that bad, it hardly hurts at all!" Shouto tried to reassure him. "I can just ice it."

"No, that will leave a scar. Never put ice on a burn," Midoriya scolded, dragging him through the cafe. 

"Oh. That's why my face looks like this." Shouto mumbled to himself. 

"What?" He was sure Midoriya would've stopped in his tracks if he weren't so intent on taking him to Tsu's office. 

"Wasn't it in the news everywhere? I got boiling water poured on my face and we iced it."

"The news said you spilled-"

"Of course it did. Look, can we talk about this later? I don't want a matching scar on my arm."

"Right of course!" He answered nervously, "I'll radio Tsu so she knows we are coming." Midoriya tapped on her contact on his comm tablet. "Hey, just to let you know, I'm coming down there with Todoroki. He got a really bad water burn."

"Alright, see you soon!" Her voice answered back.

Soon, they made it to the med bay. It was small, with just two beds in a corner, a scanner, and shelves full of medical items, with a little desk right up front. Tsu was already standing up, and she was rummaging through a box titled "burn kit". She pulled out a roll of bandages and a bottle of burn cream. She set them on the countertop, and then she pulled Shouto towards the sink. She turned the water on to cool and guided his arm under the stream of the water.

"Keep it there for a bit. Tell me if anything starts hurting. Midoriya, can you wrap a blanket around him? It's a bit chilly in here and I don't want the cool water to affect his body temperature." 

Midoriya grabbed a blanket from one of the cabinets and draped it over Shouto's shoulders. Shouto grabbed the edges of the blanket with one hand and held it there.

"How'd this happen?" Tsu asked, cutting a straight line through the bandages with a pair of medical scissors.

"A test tube full of boiling water slipped out of my grip."

"Was there anything else in the water?"

"No, it was just purified water."

"Okay, good. We wouldn't want to be dealing with chemical burns too," Tsu turned the water a little colder. It stung, but he kept his arm under the steady flow from the faucet. 

A few minutes passed, and Tsu instructed him to remove his arm from the water. She helped him pat the area dry with a towel and slathered on burn cream. After that had dried, she wrapped gauze around the burn and secured it with a decent amount of medical tape.

"All fixed up! Now hang tight, I have to grab the hard drive with all your medical records on it from Iida. Grab a sticker. You know what, grab a couple stickers. Oh, and feel free to take a lollipop too."

Tsu left the room. Shouto took a handful of stickers from the sticker box with all the joy of a tiny child. He took a lollipop too.

Midoriya also grabbed a sticker. It had a picture of a sleeping cat on it. He unpeeled it and stuck it on Shouto's cheek. 

"What…" Shouto reached up to take the sticker off his face but Midoriya playfully slapped his hand away.

"Hey! Don't take it off! You're cute like that!" Midoriya laughed.

"I dislike you," Shouto muttered as he peeled a sticker (it was of a roll of sushi with a smiley face) and stuck it upside down on the middle of Midoriya's forehead. 

"You don't really dislike me. You love me!" Midoriya took a lollipop.

"...perhaps," Shouto took the wrapper off his own lollipop. Midoriya snickered.

Silence slowly ebbed in as they waited for Tsu to come back. 

"Hey, you know how we were talking earlier? You know, about-"

"About my scar," Shouto finished the sentence for him.

"Yeah…"

"The only memories I have of my mother are of her crying… my childhood was- it wasn't good. The last time I remember feeling happy and safe, I was so young I couldn't even write yet. Every one paints my father as some kind of hero, or like a celebrity. In truth, he is a horrible man who abuses his wife and kids."

"Oh my god," Midoriya muttered, pity welling in his eyes.

"He loved his reputation more than he loved his own family. You know what a quirk marriage is, right? Well, he married my mother to ensure his children would have powerful quirks, and therefore a high status. Every one of my siblings were failures, he said. Then I came along. 

"He wanted me to be a better mission leader than Yagi Toshinori someday, since he never could. Every day since the day my quirk manifested he would 'train' me by forcing me to go on until I passed out from exhaustion. When my mother stepped in to save me, he turned his beatings on her."

"I'm so sorry-"

"All the abuse eventually drove my mother to madness. She called my left side unbearable as she poured boiling water on my face." The memory flashed through his mind. He felt the phantom burning of pain on his left side as he remembered the look in his mother's eyes as she turned to him. 

"I-" Midoriya cut himself off and hugged Shouto. Maybe he thought his actions would speak louder than his words. Shouto wasn't used to affectionate touch, and he stiffened at the embrace before slowly melting into it.

"Thank you for listening to me," Shouto said. "And- and for believing me."

"Of course I believe you. You're my friend."

Slowly they moved out of the embrace. Midoriya stuck another sticker on Shouto's face. This time, it was shaped like a star. "I wonder when Asu- I mean Tsu is coming back," Midoriya wondered aloud.

"I dunno. She might be having trouble with my medical file download. The file size is pretty large and has been known to crash computers before."

Shouto leaned back in the hospital chair, staring at the ceiling tiles. 

"Are we cloud gazing?" Midoriya giggled.

"Are we what?"

"Oh, on Earth, clouds really stand out against the sky, so sometimes people look at the clouds and try to find shapes in them."

"That sounds fun."

"Some day, we're gonna have to do it together," Midoriya said, leaning towards Shouto a little. He was sort of invading his personal space, but Shouto didn't want to seem rude, so he just stayed silent. A couple seconds passed, and then Midoriya leaned even closer, so his head was almost resting on Shouto's shoulder. 

"Uh… what are you doing?"

"Sorry!" Midoriya shot away,"I just- sorry I was being way too forward! I might have sort of been flirting with you? I shouldn't, I am just ignoring your boundaries. Sorry."

"You were flirting with me?" Midoriya nodded. "Wait, but why?"

"Because you are pretty and you are super nice." His entire face turned red and his voice pitched higher in embarrassment.

"I am?"

"Of course you are! I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true!"

"Thank you… you are also pretty and nice." Shouto stumbled over his words, feeling flustered. He had never been flirted with before. His brain seemed to be short-circuiting. 

A voice suddenly chimed on Midoriya's comm tablet. "Hi, it's Uraraka. Can I get someone who is free to divert some power to navigation? We're heading towards a field of debris and I need the extra power to dodge it."

Midoriya fumbled with his tablet. "Todoroki and I are free. We can do it."

"Thanks guys!"

"Alrighty, let's go to electrical!" Midoriya grabbed his hand and led him out of medbay. Shouto stared at their intertwined hands. Was this friendly hand-holding, or was this romance hand-holding? 

Midoriya led him through the maze of hallways that is the UA, and they stopped in front of a room labelled "electrical" Midoriya pushed open the heavy door to reveal a dark room which clanged, hummed, and whistled with the sounds of machines.

They entered. Electrical was made up of several different rows of machinery. The lights became dimmer the further in they went, and the light from outside the room was blocked by the rows of electronics. Midoriya stopped at the penultimate row and gestured for Shouto to follow him. He gladly glued himself to Midoriya's side. This room gave him the creeps. 

The sound of the machines became louder, and Midoriya finally halted in front of a machine with about a million different switches on it. While he searched the switches for the correct one, Shouto looked at the machines near him. Some had wires sloppily spilling out the sides. Others had tiny lights twinkling through the darkness like robotic eyes in an electric jungle.

This whole room gave him a bad feeling. He focused on fighting down the panic rising in his chest. He was with Midoriya. Nothing could harm him. 

Then, the lights went out. Shouto startled and tripped over a wire, tangling himself in a mess of hopefully-not-live wires on the floor. A loud siren rang over and over. He shouted for Midoriya, but his voice was muffled by the noises around him. He wouldn't be able to hear if Midoriya is calling for him either.

Think, think,  _ think _ , there must be a way to turn the lights back on. He is in electrical, right? Surely there is a machine in here somewhere that can power the lights back on? He stood up slowly, on legs shaking from fear, and braced himself against a machine, making sure not to accidentally touch any switches or buttons. 

When he closed his eyes, it was just as dark as with his eyes open, save the dim lights that twinkled from deep with the maze of machines and wires. He reached his arms out to the front and sides of himself. He moved his feet slowly and carefully, feeling for wires or anything else that could potentially trip him.

His breath quickened with fear as the darkness seemed to swallow him. He felt like he was being watched. Frost creeped up his right cheek as panic pierced his chest.  _ What if there is an Imposter? _

His brother, Touya, died on a mission when Shouto was seven years old. An Imposter had taken over his ship and killed everyone aboard. The memory of the news of Touya's death kept replaying in his head as he stumbled down the row of machinery. 

Shouto didn't want to die. There were plenty of times in his life when he wished he were dead, but he didn't want to die at the hands of an Imposter. 

He rounded a corner, expecting something to be standing there ready to kill him, but there was nothing. He wished he had a flashlight, but he was still terrified that he would shine it on something he didn't want to see. 

There was a loud bang from somewhere in front of him. He jumped backwards, cold dread pooling in his chest. He was going to die something was going to kill him he was going to die

He hid himself behind a machine. He couldn't breath. His body trembled. Frost snuck down his neck and covered his arm, crystillazing over the bandage covering his burn. He shut his eyes tight, curling into himself and trying to be as small as possible.

_ I don't wanna die I don't wanna die please please please _

The lights flashed on. He screamed, opening his eyes and throwing his arm in front of himself, but there was nothing there. Was it toying with him? Was it giving him a cruel moment of hope before it killed him?

"Todoroki?" A voice shouted from a few rows away. He jumped.

"I'm over here!" He shouted back.

"Thank God! I couldn't find you, I thought you might have gotten hurt!" Midoriya jogged towards him, and he stood up from the floor.

"What happened? Is there an Imposter?" Shouto panted, adrenaline still rushing through his body.

"The lights went out. I think it might be because the ship is old. It just kind of malfunctions sometimes. I went to turn the lights back on. Are you okay? You're breathing really heavy and you look super pale."

"I thought I was going to die. I thought there was an Imposter." 

Midoriya patted his back soothingly. "Everything's going to be okay. If there were an Imposter, they would have shone themselves way before you even joined the mission. This has been our second false alarm so far. The ship is just a peice of junk and malfunctions happen sometimes."

Shouto nodded, trying to match his shaky breathing with Midoriya's so he could calm down.

"Come on, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps," Midoriya led him out of the room. 

"Oi! Are you guys okay?" Kirishima was down the hallway.

"We're fine," Midoriya answered, waving at him.

"Good, I was just heading over to fix the lights. I'm going to get a heart attack one of these days! This ship sure does love scaring us!" Kirishima laughed loudly, swinging his flashlight as he walked towards them. 

Midoriya's hand moved from Shouto's back down to his hand, and he held it again. Shouto wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that. Was it Midoriya flirting with him, or Midoriya just being friendly? 

"Help, oh my god help! By admin! Someone help!" A frantic voice screamed from all of their comm tablets.

"Oh shit!" Kirishima shouted and dashed away. Midoriya's hand squeezed Shouto's even tighter as they followed behind. Shouto felt like he was going to throw up. Dread sank into his stomach with each second.

They turned a corner. 

Blood.

It was everywhere.

Splattered onto the walls, pooling on the floor. The hallway was metallic with the scent of it. 

Shouto couldn't hear over his pounding heart and the ringing in his ears. He turned away, hand clutching over his mouth and stomach as nausea racked his body. His vision started going dark and his balance wavered. Someone, probably Midoriya, placed a steading hand on his shoulder. 

He stared at the ground, swallowing down the bile rising from his throat. 

Someone was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think the Imposter is? Who do you think died? Let me know in the comments!


	4. Iida, There's People That Are Dying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: racism(? But like being from different planets?), gore, panic attacks, throwing up  
> Sorry this chapter is a bit short. It is more of a filler/informational chapter before the REAL action begins.

The tension in the air was ice cold and ready to snap.

Everyone was sitting at the middle table of the cafeteria, using it as a makeshift meeting hall. Iida was standing with his hands pressed palm-down on the top of the table. Uraraka sobbed quietly from the corner of the room. Midoriya was comforting her while listening to the meeting.

Shouto still felt sick. 

"Tsuyu is dead," Iida stated in a shaky voice. Everyone knew already, of course, and it seemed Iida was more repeating it to himself to make sure it was real.

"We can all agree that it was not a natural death," Iida continued, looking around the room, "which means someone here must have done it." 

The mood turned even grimmer than before, if that was possible. The crewmates began to shift nervous glances at each other, wary of the people beside them.

"Who found the body?" Yaoyorozu asked. "Perhaps if we know everyone's location we can find the murderer."

"Not a murderer," Shouto managed to speak,"there is no way a human could have done that. That was the work of an Imposter." That final word seemed to chill the air. The crewmate's fear was suffocating. 

It was true that a human could not have killed Tsuyu. Her body had been cut almost entirely in half. Her spine was mangled, her skin was torn, and her organs scattered across the hallway. 

"I have notified the SSETC of our situation already, and they have organized a rescue plan. However, it is against company policy to rescue any member of the crew until an Imposter is identified, otherwise the Imposter could make it onto their ships as well," Iida informed them. "We need to figure out who did this so we can be rescued with minimum losses."

"Minimum losses? These are human lives we are talking about!" Mina slammed her fist on the table. "Tsuyu is dead and more people are going to die before we find the Imposter!"

"Please, calm down Mina. As the captain of this ship, I will not let any of you be harmed. Please, everyone tell us where you were during the black out and when the body was found."

"I found Tsuyu," Uraraka weakly sighed out between hiccupping sobs. "I was trying to- trying to find Iida to give a progress report and she was-" she burst into tears again, burying her face in Midoriya's chest. Midoriya gently patted her back.

"I was headed to electrical after the lights went out. When I received the message. Todoroki and Midoriya had just come out of electrical." Kirishima spoke up.

"Yes, Todoroki and I were together the whole time. We were in Med Bay, and Tsuyu went to retrieve Todoroki's file. We answered the call to divert power to navigation when the lights went out."

"Jirou and I were staying in the reactor the whole time, trying to make sure the electricity hadn't gone out in there," Yaoyorozu said.

"I was headed to the chemistry lab to grab supplies. Bakugou was in there," Mina gave her alibi, and Bakugou nodded. 

"Sero was in the chemistry lab as well. I don't know what he was doing, but he wasn't murdering anyone," Bakugou added.

"Kaminari and I were heading to electrical. We were both in admin. Tsuyu was not nearby when we were heading down the hallway." Iida finished with his own alibi.

"So, everyone except for me and Uraraka has a solid alibi," Kirishima stated, leaning forward on the bench.

"It seems unlikely to be either of you. You have both been on this ship for a while, and the first death occurred on the same day that newcomers arrived." Iida looked at each of them.

"Did anyone get separated from the people they were with at all during the point in time that the lights went out?" Yaoyorozu asked, "Jirou and I were holding hands so we wouldn't get separated."

"Well, I couldn't see Bakugou or Mina when the lights went out," Sero made a face, "but I feel like it wasn't either of them."

"I think Todoroki did it." Bakugou said suddenly.

"Wait, why me?" Shouto's stomach twisted at the thought that he could be blamed for this.

"You are a newcomer," Bakugou counted on his fingers for each point, "You were with Tsuyu before the incident, you were in electrical when the lights went out, and you are the only one here who wasn't born on Earth."

"I can't tell if that's racist, but it definitely doesn't feel right," Kaminari squinted at Bakugou.

"Why does all of that make me the Imposter? I would never kill someone, and I had an alibi. Just because I was born on Polus doesn't mean I am not human."

"It could," Bakugou argued. "We still don't know where Imposters come from! All I am saying is that Todoroki probably did it!"

"But he was alone with me almost all day and he never tried to hurt me," Midoriya defended him, "We can't make rash assumptions based on this little evidence. I think our best course of action is probably to just stick together. Turning against each other will only make the Imposter's job easier."

Relief flooded his body at Midoriya's words. 

"Midoriya is correct. It is innocent until proven guilty, after all." Iida agreed. "We need to collect more evidence before we can decide anything."

"So what, we wait for someone else to die?" Bakugou snapped.

"No. I have a plan. People should stick together at all times. Todoroki, Midoriya, do you think you can try and collect DNA from the crime scene? Everyone has a copy of their genetic code in their medical files. I can give you access to them." They nodded. "We may be able to collect DNA that matches the Imposter. Once we compare it to everyone on board, we will catch them." That sounded like a good idea.

"Please, everyone, be safe. If something seems suspicious to you, please report it." Iida finished his speech.

Everyone got up. Most of the crew tried to comfort Uraraka. Kaminari went to get water from the kitchen, Iida moved to the corner of the room to send a report to the SSETC, and Midoriya and Shouto walked to the labs to get some equipment.

* * *

Shouto was almost shaking with anxiety as they walked towards- towards Tsu. He kept thinking he was seeing things out of the corners of his eyes, and every sound the old ship made accelerated his heartbeat. Every step amplified the anxiety, and his stomach roiled with nausea. Sticky saliva kept filling his mouth, and he struggled to hold down the acid rising in his throat.

"Are you okay?" Midoriya stopped before they turned the corner into the admin hallway.

"Ugh… feel… feel sick," Shouto struggled to get the words out of his mouth. He didn't want to throw up in front of Midoriya.

"Hey, it's okay. You're alright," Midoriya shifted the box of equipment he was holding into one arm. With his now-free hand, he stroked Shouto's cheek soothingly. The touch startled Shouto. Was Midoriya this- this forward- with everyone? Maybe Shouto just wasn't used to affection. 

"Listen, if this is something that you feel you can't do, I am sure I can get someone else to help me," Midoriya offered him a way out.

"But I am the only other biologist. You and I are the only ones qualified for this job."

"Okay, I just don't want you to get sick. If you feel like you are going to throw up, please tell me."

Shouto nodded. He and Midoriya turned the corner together. 

The air smelled metallic. The blood on the walls and floors had dried to a crusty rust-brown instead of the shining crimson of before. The nausea from before roiled up. He tried to look at anything other than the body. Anything other than Tsu.

Her sun-kissed tan skin was now a ghost pale, save the places where it had been covered in blood. The braid she wore in her hair was messy and caked in blood. Her eyes were open, lifeless. 

The upper half of her body lay a meter or so away from her lower half. Her spine protruded from her lower half, twisted and contorted. Chunks of flesh held on to the mangled bone. 

Shouto's stomach twisted and nausea clawed at his throat. He tried to force down the rising bile. He was covered in a cold sweat. He tried to blink away dizziness. 

"Todoroki?" Midoriya asked. It sounded like he was underwater.

Dots blurred Shouto's vision. His stomach heaved and thick saliva filled his mouth. He was on his knees in a second. 

A burp was wrenched from his throat. Chunks of partially digested food spewed from his mouth. He choked and sputtered as his stomach contracted violently. He was shaking. His pale face dripped with bile, snot, and tears. 

Distantly, he felt Midoriya rubbing his back. 

He continued to heave until only foamy stomach acid would come out. Only when he was finished did the acrid scent reach him. He spit out thick saliva and chunks, coughing at the pungent, burning taste. Some of the vomit had splattered onto his hands and his clothing. He groaned, more tears trickling down his face.

"-think it was too much for him. I don't know, he looked like he was about to pass out." Shouto caught snippets of a conversation. He blinked away tears and looked up. 

Midoriya was beside him, hand still on his back. He was talking to Iida and Kirishima.

Shame burned Shouto's cheeks. Had they seen him throwing up? Humiliation caused the tears to well up again.

"Hey, you're okay," Midoriya helped him up. Everything swayed. 

Shouto tried to say something, but it came out as an embarrassing half-whine half-sob. 

"Midoriya, are you able to take him to the dorms?" Iida asked.

"Yes. He doesn't have a bed yet, but we already agreed he would take my bottom bunk."

"Okay. Kirishima and I will make sure no one tampers with anything here until you come back. I'll send for Bakugou to help you with DNA collecting when you come back."

On the walk to the dorms, Shouto concentrated mostly on trying to stay conscious. The farther they walked away from the murder scene, the better and less light headed he felt.

When they arrived, Midoriya showed him where his bed was. Then, he showed him the showers and left a change of clothes for him. He instructed Shouto to get some sleep. After Midoriya left, Shouto got in the shower. He had never been this happy to have a shower in his life. He turned the water to hot, hoping the burning sting would help wash away the memories of today. He gargled water several times, but nothing would lessen the burning in his throat and the bitter taste in his mouth. When he was done, he stood in the stream of the water, resting his head against the cool tile. The showers worked on timers so no one would use too much water. He wanted to stay under the water forever, but his timer was ticking down. 

The water stopped. He sighed and stepped out, grabbing a towel. When he was younger, he used to purposely use too-big towels so he could wrap himself completely in the warmth. He wished he could do that now. He wanted to wrap himself completely in a towel, hiding away from the world.

He dried himself quickly and heated his left hand. He ran it through his hair to dry it.

He got dressed in what he assumed were the uniform sleep-clothes. Then, he stumbled out of the bathroom and to his bed. He slipped under the warm covers, curling onto his side. He pulled the covers up over his head, not leaving any part of his body uncovered. Some childish voice deep inside him told him it would protect him. He knew it wasn't true, but the shelter of the blankets comforted him anyways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I kill off Tsuyu in my fics a lot. I think it is because she is best girl and I like making my readers sad.  
> Is anyone sus to you?  
> Art is mine.


	5. So No Head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: slight gore

Shouto picked at his food during breakfast. Midoriya had woken him up earlier to come down to the cafeteria to eat before the next big meeting, but his appetite was virtually non-existent and the thought of eating made him nauseous. Still, Midoriya had handed him a bowl of plain rice porridge with a kind smile on his face. Who was Shouto to deny the food and risk worrying Midoriya?

So, he picked at his food instead. None of his table mates looked too focused on their breakfast either, so at least he wasn't alone. Midoriya and Iida had already finished eating and were going over several documents together. Yaoyorozu had downed a glass of cranberry juice and was now tapping her nails nervously on the table and twirling a piece of her long black hair with the other. Jirou hadn't eaten anything. Her head was rested in her arms on the table. She was either sleeping or resting. Shouto couldn't tell. Most unnerving however, were the empty spot where Tsuyu used to sit, and Uraraka. Shouto tried not to look at her, but he could feel the unwavering heat of her stare. Before he sat down, she had been staring blankly at the table, but as soon as she noticed him, she watched him suspiciously. Shouto wasn't sure if rumours were going around that he was an Imposter even though Bakugou's accusation had been shut down by both Midoriya and Iida, but with the way Uraraka glared at him, he assumed they had.

He finally gained the courage to look up and meet her eyes. Her gaze didn't waver at the eye contact. She didn't flinch or looked away. In fact, it intensified. The fire in her eyes burned brighter until it was unbearable and he was forced to look away.

He understood her anger. Someone had taken away the most important person in Uraraka's life. She had to direct her anguish somewhere, and Shouto was an easy target. He didn't blame her. He would act the same were he in her place. 

A couple minutes passed before Iida stood in the centre of the room. All conversation- though there hadn't been much- died. 

"Midoriya and I looked through the DNA results," Iida jumped right into it. "Because the scene was unintentionally contaminated," Shouto flinched,"we were aware of the possibility that we would find DNA matching multiple different people. Midoriya, please read the results."

"Obviously we found DNA matching Tsuyu. We also found DNA matching Uraraka, Todoroki, Kacchan, and myself. Uraraka, of course, had been near Tsuyu all day. Kacchan and I were handling the DNA samples, so it was expected we would get some contamination. And Todoroki- he- well he got sick at the scene. So, all of that could be explained away, and it really doesn't narrow it down much, especially because Imposters have been known to leave behind little to no DNA evidence at the scene."

"Thank you Midoriya," Midoriya bowed his head quickly and sat back down, clutching the reports to his chest. Iida continued, "Since the DNA results didn't help much, we are just going to have to continue travelling in groups. With the evidence at hand we cannot do much."

"So we really do have to wait 'til someone dies," Bakugou said harshly.

"You have to understand that this isn't up to me," Iida ran a hand through his hair,"the SSETC has rules that we are required to follow. If I had my why, I would get every single one of us home safe. I don't want my crew to be harmed! I don't want my crew to die! But the rules exist for a reason! To bring an Imposter aboard another ship would mean that more people would be harmed and more lives would be lost. Believe me, I want to leave this mess too, but it would be selfish of me to. We need to focus on keeping losses to a minimum."

Uraraka stood up suddenly. Shouto could tell she was angry because her quirk was activated. Her hair was floating up in swaying motions as though she were underwater. Her plate, cup, and utensils were wobbling off the table and into the air. Even in space, she was terrifyingly strong."I don't care about company policies! Tsu is dead! She's gone," her voice cracked,"but even so, the rest of us are alive. We can't spend precious time and energy arguing about rules. What we need is answers! Someone on this ship killed Tsuyu and we aren't even doing anything about it! We have no answers, flimsy evidence, and no support from the SSETC! They are leaving us here to die and all of you know it!" The plate and utensils fell against the table with a loud clang and a shattering of glass. 

"Uraraka," Yaoyorozu reached out to place a straying hand on her arm, but she batted her away.

"All of you know it, deep down. When has a crew ever survived an Imposter attack? When?! They aren't going to help us, we have to do this on our own! I'm not going to wait around for someone else to die! I don't care what the rest of you do, but I'm going to search for answers!" Uraraka finished shouting and walked out of the cafeteria, stomping footsteps echoing.

Shouto stared at the broken glass in front of him. Uraraka's speech echoed in his head over and over. They really were going to die, weren't they? The only time a crew ever succeeded in defeating an Imposter they were left with only one or two crewmates. 

"Everyone try to stay with at least one other person. Someone find Uraraka. Please, be safe," Iida finally spoke into the silence.

* * *

With that, their morning tasks began.

"Kaminari, can you stay with us?" Jirou asked, gesturing to herself and Yao-Momo. 

"Sure!"

"Good," Momo sighed,"we were thinking it would be safest to travel in groups of three because the Imposter will have a harder time getting us if there are more people."

"Sounds like a plan," Kaminari gave a thumbs up.

"This morning's dishes need to be cleaned. We should do that together," Jirou suggested.

The kitchen was relatively small. It was probably only meant for one person whose job is to cook and clean dishes, but their crew was understaffed for a ship so large and old, so they tended to switch off. 

Momo scrubbed the dishes in the sink. Jirou was sitting on the counter with a towel in her hands drying the dishes, and Kaminari was squeezed between Momo and the wall, putting the dry dishes away in the cupboard. 

It was quiet save the sloshing of the sink water and the scrubbing of a sponge. Silence, however, tended to unnerve Kaminari, which explained why he was constantly talking.

"So… you ladies come here often?" _God dammit Denki you just have to start flirting! This is more awkward than not talking at all!_

Jirou snorted, handing him a bowl,"wow, that is quite possibly _the_ worst pickup line I have ever heard in my life."

"Oh, so you have a better one?" 

"I may not be the best looking girl here, but I'm the only one talking to you," Jirou said with a smile.

"You insulted me _and_ flirted with Momo at the same time?!"

"Yup, sure did. Momo, you know any good ones?"

Momo blushed pink, "I… it isn't a very good one."

"Aw, come on, give it a go!" Kaminari reassured her.

"Okay… I feel an attraction between the two of us, and it's more than just our universal gravitation."

Jirou burst out laughing. Kaminari laughed much more quietly, hoping he looked like he understood the joke.

"Wait, I have a great one," Kaminari paused dramatically, "do you think I have any chance of being with you?"

"How is that a great one?" Jirou handed him a glass.

"Well, it indirectly compliments the person I'm flirting with while also putting them in a position of power so I seem non-threatening."

"Wow, the great Kaminari finally says something smart." Jirou teased.

"Hey, I'm smart! I have a degree in computer science!"

"I think what Jirou means is that you often speak in a way which is much more… colloquial," Momo added.

"Also, no one expects the guy who gave the spaceship a virus from watching porn to know what the word 'indirectly' means," Jirou laughed at the pout on Kaminari's face.

"I wasn't-"

"It's okay, Kaminari, you can just admit it."

"Momo, you're joking, right?" Kaminari watched Momo's serious expression break into a smile.

"Yeah, for what it's worth, I believe you at least."

"I don't," Jirou leaned back.

Kaminari stuck his tongue out at her.

"I'm out of soap," Momo said, using the last of the bottle.

"I'll get some from storage!" Kaminari offered.

"Don't go alone."

"I heard Midoriya and Todoroki say they were going there. I should be fine."

"Okay, just don't get hurt."

* * *

"Hey, Todoroki, do you wanna complete tasks together?" Midoriya bounced up into Shouto's personal space. He nodded and they walked to storage together. They needed to go repair and clean an engine part. Uraraka was the only engineer on board, and she also worked in navigation, so the crewmates tended to need to help out with stuff like this. 

Storage was relatively dark and dusty, with boxes and shelves all over the place. It reminded Shouto of electrical, but much less creepy and much more dirty.

Midoriya helped him pull a dusty cover off of the engine and handed him a rag to help clean with. Shouto knelt down and began polishing the old rusting metal, wiping away dust and dirt. They worked in tense silence. Shouto was still embarrassed by yesterday's events.

"Sorry about yesterday," he finally said, looking at Midoriya to see his reaction.

"You don't have to be sorry. _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. I didn't notice how bad you were feeling until it was too late."

That made Shouto feel a little bit better. He was worried Midoriya would be angry with him. Or worse, that he would think Shouto is weak.

"Todoroki." A voice startled them both. They turned around to see Uraraka at one of the doorways. 

"Hi?" Shouto didn't know what else to say.

She power-walked forward and grabbed the collar of his spacesuit, dragging him towards her.

"Uraraka, what are you doing?" Midoriya stood up and tried to get between his two friends.

"I need to talk with him," Uraraka spit out.

"It's okay Midoriya, we'll be fine," Shouto reassured him. It was probably best to hear whatever Uraraka had on her mind anyways.

She led him down behind some shelving not far from where Midoriya was. 

"Did you kill her," Uraraka hissed, trapping Shouto against the shelf.

"Wha-"

"Don't play dumb with me! Did you kill Tsuyu?"

"No, I wouldn't ever kill anyone, especially not Tsuyu!"

"Something about you is suspicious, Todoroki Shouto. I don't have the evidence to prove anything yet but I _will_ find it. I don't know what you want with Midoriya and why you haven't hurt him, but I just want to let you know that not everyone on this ship is as trusting as he is. I'm watching you, understand?" Shouto gulped and nodded.

Damn, Uraraka is scary. Who knew someone so small could hold so much fury inside.

She let go of his clothing and stomped away, head held high. Shouto watched her leave, smoothing down the wrinkles she had created on his clothing. 

He walked back towards Midoriya. He was on the ground by the engine tightening a bolt with a wrench. He had oil on his face and arms.

"Is Uraraka always that scary?"

Midoriya shook his head. "She is usually really nice. I think Tsuyu's death just took a toll on her. She'll figure out you aren't the Imposter eventually. Don't take it personally. Grief does crazy things to people."

Shouto nodded and sat down next to him. He grabbed a clean towel from a box and handed it to Midoriya.

"What's this for?"

"Your face and arms are all dirty."

Midoriya just laughed and took the towel, cleaning his hands off with it. 

"You're really kind, you know that?" Midoriya flashed him one of those blinding white smiles that left him dazed but happy.

"Thank you."

"Shouto," This startled him. Why was Midoriya using his first name? "I have something to tell you-"

"Has anyone seen Kaminari?" Momo and Jirou entered the room, looking worried.

"No, is he supposed to be in here?" Shouto stood up.

"Yeah, he went looking for soap."

"I haven't seen him," Midoriya wiped his hands on the towel again, "he might have snuck past me somehow. Let's check by the cleaning supplies."

The group walked towards the back of the storage room. Shouto could feel dread settling lead-heavy in his stomach. This didn't feel good. Something was off. For the few days Shouto knew Kaminari, he was never silent. He was always humming some tune or cracking jokes to himself. Now, it was deathly silent.

He could tell the others felt the alarming stillness of the room. Momo's eyes were wide and panicked, looking around the room as though something would jump out of the shadows. Jirou was biting her nails, shivering despite the lack of cold. Midoriya was holding Shouto's hand and squeezing, probably to calm himself down. He was muttering. 

The corner by the cleaning supplies was dark. Shouto fished a flashlight out of his pocket, clicking the button to turn it on. It flickered. The flashlight was dim and didn't increase visibility much at all, but it was better than nothing.

Jirou screamed.

Everyone jumped back and then saw what she was looking at. A puddle of crimson blood so dark it was almost black reflected the flashlight's beam. Shaking, Shouto moved the flashlight up. They could see black boots, yellow pants spattered with blood, a gloved hand laying limply to the side. Farther up a waist, a chest, A neck- all covered in blood. And that's it.

"Oh my god," Momo gasped, reaching for her comm tablet. 

"It has- those are-," Shouto couldn't get the words out, just staring in horror at the headless body.

"Those are bite marks," he choked out. He could distantly hear Jirou retching from somewhere behind him. "It ate his head."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys do not even understand how much of a genius I felt like for this chapter name.  
> If you dont understand, it was from a vine.  
> It's what Kaminari would have wanted.  
> Art is mine.


	6. He May Be Quirkless But At Least That Ass Is Fat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: swearing, suicidal thoughts, discrimination (against quirkless people)

"It ate him," Shouto stared blankly at the wall behind Iida. "It ate his head. Those were bite marks."

They were once again gathered in the cafeteria. Midoriya was sitting to his side and holding his hand. The icy tension coiled in the air again, threatening to snap. The mood was solemn. Squinted, suspicious gazes flicked from person to person. Shouto noticed that people seemed nervous. Sero was chewing on his lip, Kirishima's leg was bouncing up and down, and Mina was tapping on the table, acrylic nails click-clacking over the quiet.

"Why did Kaminari go off alone? I don't understand," Mina suddenly wondered aloud, still tapping the table.

"He wasn't supposed to be alone," Yaoyorozu explained. "He went to storage. Midoriya and Todoroki were both there. I don't know how this happened. He wasn't alone in the room."

"Uraraka was in storage as well," Midoriya added. "She and Todoroki were talking for a bit. I don't think any of us saw Kaminari come in."

"Did anyone see anyone come in or out of storage?" Iida asked.

No one answered. Some shook their heads.

"So we have no evidence," Iida concluded with a sigh.

"I don't know how it could get past us. How did Kaminari get past us? We would have noticed. Something isn't right," Shouto wondered aloud.

"The Imposter could be traveling through other means," Yaoyorozu pointed out. "We know that it is mimicking us when we are around but when it isn't around people there is a possibility it could start travelling via other methods, like crawling on the ceiling, or going through the vents."

"That sounds possible," Midoriya agreed, beginning to mumble under his breath, something Shouto noticed he did when anxious.

"But that wouldn't explain how Kaminari got past you," Yaoyorozu deliberated, twirling around a piece of hair that had come out of her ponytail. 

"We need to do  _ something _ ," Uraraka joined the conversation. "Two people are dead. We can't just wait around until we're picked off one by one. We have families to go back to. We have lives to go back to."

"So what- do we just stop trusting everyone? Any one of us could be the Imposter," Mina asked.

"No. I think we need to trust each other even more," Uraraka looked at Shouto with eyes that shone with an emotion he couldn't identify. "If we distrust the people around us, the Imposter can work off of that distrust. Teamwork will benefit us. If we work together, we have a better chance of getting out alive."

"Uraraka is right," Iida nodded. "In past missions, the presence of an Imposter tears the crew apart. They can't get anything done with that distrust. We mustn't let that happen. Instead, we should work together. Kaminari is gone because we let him go alone. From now on, we stick together.  _ No matter what. _ "

"Even with that plan, will it really stop the Imposter? It is clear that they can kill quickly and quietly. Who is to say that a group of us can't be taken down all at once?" Yaoyorozu worried, still twirling a lock of ink-black hair.

"I don't think the shitty Imposter's stupid enough to try that," Bakugou butted in. "They might be able to kill the whole group, but not before someone radios for help. Then they would get caught for sure."

Somehow Bakugou's words were reassuring and the tension lessened a bit. 

"I need to figure out who to partner people up with," Iida looked at his computer. "No one leave this room. This might take a bit since I need you to be able to work while staying with your partner at the same time."

Everyone stood up and moved to different corners of the room. Shouto sat at his usual table, staring off into space. Midoriya sat beside him, but he didn't really register the presence of his friend. He was still thinking of the dark storage room, of the flashlight's beam piercing the shadows, of the blood pooling crimson on the floor. He was still thinking of the jagged bite marks on Kaminari's neck.

The images kept flashing through his mind one by one. Panic rose and fell in his chest with each breath he took. The walls seemed to close in around him. He shut his eyes, but he still felt trapped. 

_ He feels like he is back on Polus, in the part of the base where his family lived. He is young. His quirk hasn't manifested yet. Back then, his mother used to hold him and sing to him. His siblings used to play games with him. He is playing a game now. Hide and seek. Fuyumi is it.  _

_ She counts slowly, palms covering her eyes, peeking through her fingers even after Natsuo calls her a cheater. _

_ Shouto darts away. He is fast for a child so small. He swings into an open doorway. It is his father's study. He isn't allowed here but father isn't around and Fuyumi doesn't like going in here, so he won't be found for a while.  _

_ He opens the cabinet beside the desk. The doors are heavy. The cabinet usually holds boxes of papers, but today, it is empty. Father took them to the meeting with him. He squeezes into the small space and closes the doors with a click. _

_ Then he waits. And waits. And waits. _

_ Fuyumi isn't coming. Natsuo isn't either. Have they forgotten him? He presses his palm against the door, trying to open it. It won't budge. He tries again, pushing with every ounce of strength his small body can muster. _

_ Minutes pass. His body hurts. The doors won't open. He feels the walls closing in and the dark getting darker. Suddenly there is no air to breath and no space to move. He struggles against the door again. He wants out. He needs to get out. He screams for someone to help him. He screams for Mama, for Fuyumi, for Natsuo, even for Touya and Father. _

_ Eventually Mama finds him curled up and crying in the cabinet, shaking and pale with fear.  _

"Todoroki?"

"Hello?" 

Shouto rubbed at his eyes, clearing away the memory and the claustrophobic sensation. Midoriya shook his shoulder.

"Sorry. I spaced out," Shouto apologised.

"It's okay. Everyone is a bit… shaken up right now," Uraraka, surprisingly, said from next to him.

He stared at her. Why was she here? She was so angry with him earlier.

"Listen, I wanted to apologise," Uraraka noticed his confusion. She sat on the bench. "I- I'm just sad and angry and- and scared. I shouldn't have judged you so quickly," a tear slid down her face and her features scrunched up,"I wish this was just a nightmare. It feels like a nightmare. I miss Tsu and I'm sorry I blamed this on you." She sobbed and sniffled.

Shouto wasn't sure what to do. He was never good at comforting people. He wanted to help her but he was afraid he would make it worse. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

"No it's fine," she wiped away the snot and tears,"I just want you to know I don't blame you. I need a tissue. Stay safe," she stood up and hurried towards the supply cabinet by the kitchen. 

"I feel bad for her," Shouto said as he watched her walk away.

"Me too," Midoriya agreed.

Silence.

"Todoroki, I'm scared."

"You are?"

"I miss my mom. I miss home. I'm afraid I won't make it back."

"I don't know what to say. I don't know if we'll survive this," Shouto didn't want to give him false hope.

"I know that I'm going to die someday, but I don't want it to hurt," Midoriya looked down. His forest-green hair obscured his eyes, but Shouto could see the tear-lines on his cheeks.

"I'm sure you are strong. I'm sure you can protect yourself," Shouto tried to sound hopeful. His heart hurt when Midoriya cried.

"No, I'm not. You don't understand. I'm weak. I'm not gonna survive," Midoriya shook his head.

"You're not weak-"

"I'm quirkless. I can't defend myself. I'm surprised I haven't died already."

"Don't talk like that. Just because you're quirkless doesn't mean you're weak. We can't even use our quirks much here anyways. I'd give anything to be quirkless."

Midoriya seemed to pause his crying for a moment. "Why?"

"My dad."

"Oh, I forgot. But, you aren't him, you know. Your quirk- it's your power, not his."

Somehow those words changed Shouto's entire worldview. Midoriya was right. Shouto isn't the shadow of his father. He isn't chained to the man because of his quirk. He is Shouto. Just Shouto.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Huh?"

"I said thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome?"

"I've just never thought of it like that before," Shouto saw Midoriya smile weakly at this.

"I'm glad I could help."

"I won't let anything happen to you. It doesn't matter if you're quirkless," Shouto grabbed Midoriya's hand. "I'll stick with you and keep you safe." Midoriya giggled and his cheeks bloomed rose-pink. 

"Everyone, I have finished the list!" Iida stood and shouted.

They turned around in their seats to face Iida.

"Based on everyone's jobs, I have assigned each of you a partner whom you may not leave during the work day, understood?" Everybody nodded. "Okay. I am partnered with Kirishima. Yaoyorozu and Jirou, you are working together. Uraraka and Mina are a team. Sero and Todoroki. Last but not least, Bakugou and Midoriya. If you have any problems bring them to me."

"I HAVE A FUCKING PROBLEM!" Bakugou screamed and stalked towards the center of the room, mini explosions popping in his palms.

"I had a feeling this would happen," Iida grumbled under his breath. "Bakugou, you and Midoriya both work in the chemistry lab. It is the most logical choice."

"LOGICAL MY ASS! I WANNA SWITCH!"

"Why do you hate him so much, dude?" Sero asked.

"DEKU JUST GETS ON MY FUCKING NERVES, OKAY? I DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY IT, I JUST DON'T FUCKING LIKE HIM!" 

"Woah, chill man," Sero waved his hands in front of himself.

"I am afraid I cannot switch your partner's around," Iida pushed his glasses up.

"Them why'd you ask if we have any problems?" Yaoyorozu asked him.

"I don't know," Iida spluttered, "it was more of a formality."

"FUCK YOU!" Bakugou flipped him off and power-walked away.

"Um, come back! Hey, it's a bad idea to go alone!" Kirishima called and ran after him.

"What an ass," Shouto muttered. 

"I'm used to it," Midoriya shrugged him off.

* * *

Several days went by with nothing happening. Things began to return to normal, though fear was still laced beneath the sense of normalcy. They did maintenance in the mornings and specialized work in the afternoons. Shouto liked the afternoons better. He felt more comfortable silently working on whatever project Iida had him doing than travelling through the ship in the dark and quiet. 

They held funerals for both of the dead crewmates. Tsuyu's was filled with tears and heartfelt stories. Kaminari's was filled with light hearted anecdotes and- somehow- laughter. Shouto didn't know Kaminari well, but it sounded like he was a fun person if the odd cheer of his funeral was anything to go by. But, all Shouto could think of were those horrible bite marks. As the people around him shared stories, he could only see the marks. He didn't understand why that image horrified him so badly.

A few days after the funerals, they were eating lunch in the cafeteria. Bakugou made some sort of curry that burned Shouto's mouth. It was way too spicy, but no one else seemed to be having a problem with it, so he sucked it up and tried to eat like normal. 

Most of the crew was trying to go back to some sense of normalcy. Even Uraraka, who could often be found crying inconsolably when she thought no one was watching, was trying to keep in good spirits. She seemed to be playing some sort of game with the other girls that involved betting and food packets. The food packets were incredibly outdated since ships now had the proper technology to bring cans of food, but they had apparently found a pallet of freeze dried fruits and ice creams at the beginning of the mission, and it seemed they were treating these packets like currency. Shouto had to admit that the packets did have a fun old-timey feel to them.

"How have things been going with Bakugou?" Shouto asked Midoriya, who was eagerly eating the curry beside him, seemingly unbothered by the spice.

"It's not ideal but he hasn't exploded me yet!" He chirped optimistically.

"How have things gone with you and Sero?" He asked Shouto.

"It's okay. We don't talk much but neither of us really mind, I think. When we're in the lab, he just stays in the greenhouse."

"I miss working with you," Midoriya took another bite of curry.

"I miss working with you too."

"Maybe I can convince Kachan to stop by the bio lab with me today."

"Don't get yourself hurt," Shouto warned.

"As much as he says he hates me, he doesn't actually. He listens to everything I say and he puts on a whole show of disagreeing with me, but he always agrees in the end," Midoriya explained.

"Really? Then why does he act like that?"

"I think he's mad because he mistakes kindness for pity. Probably doesn't help much that I'm quirkless either."

Shouto nodded. Bakugou sure did seem like the type to try and discriminate against quirkless people.

“Hey, Sho,” Midoriya’s use of his first name was jarring.

“Why’d you call me-“

“We’re friends. Friends don’t have to act all formal around each other,” Midoriya explained,”You can call me Izuku now, since we’re friends.”

“Okay Mido- um Izuku. What were you asking?”

“I wanted to know… you don’t think differently of me now? Now that you know I’m quirkless, I mean.”

“No, why would I?” 

“I don’t know. It was just- just bothering me since I told you. I don’t want you to think I’m… lesser or something.”

“You’re worried because it’s happened before.” It was a half-question and a half-statement. 

“Yeah… Kacchan reacted pretty badly when he found out.”

Shouto was about to stand up and go punch Bakugou or something, but Mi- no-  _ Izuku _ noticed the anger flashing across his features and grabbed his sleeve tightly before he could move.

“Shouto, don’t. Attacking him is only going to make people think you are suspicious.” Shouto sighed in annoyance but calmed down. It was a good thing Izuku was here. Usually Shouto’s emotions tended to build up and blind him until he did something stupid.

“Sorry. I just don’t know how anyone could treat you like that.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” Izuku said it as though it was supposed to reassure him, but it only left a sour taste in his mouth.

“I’ve been treated a lot worse by better people than Kacchan,” Izuku said. “It was a struggle to get accepted into university, and even more of a struggle to get accepted into a mission. Did you know I am only here because I met Yagi Toshinori and he felt badly enough that he pulled a few strings and got me assigned to a mission? Imagine that, the best mission leader in the universe helping some crying little quirkless kid get a mission. I was surprised too. I’m glad though. I owe everything to him. Getting me here, giving me extra training, meeting you- all that was made possible by him.”

“Yagi sounds like a good man. I hope I can meet him and thank him someday.”

“I hope so too. He kind of became like a father to me. My father left when I was young, and Yagi treats me like his own.”

“Maybe you are his secret love child.” Izuku looked surprised for a second before laughing loudly.

“Izuku, I’m being serious! Stop laughing,” Shouto whined, but it only caused Izuku to laugh harder.  He looked cute when he laughed.

Eventually lunch time ended. Iida stood up and announced that it was time to head back to work. Shouto stood near Sero and waited for him to finish up a conversation he was having with Mina and Kirishima. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, bro,” Sero finally wrapped up the conversation and stood. He was the only person besides Iida on the ship taller than Shouto, though not by much. Shouto usually felt intimidated by people taller than him (probably because tall people remind him of his father), but Sero was far from intimidating. He was beanpole-skinny, always wore a goofy smile, and tended to slouch to one side or another. They began walking to the lab. Izuku and Bakugou were not far behind them, if Bakugou’s annoyed huffing and occasional grumble of curses were anything to go by. 

They reached the bio lab and Shouto turned on the light. He walked to the counter for some gloves and a pair of goggles. When he turned around, Sero was right behind him. How he managed to get behind Shouto that quickly and silently, he didn’t know, but it was beginning to creep him out.

“You okay bro?” Shouto stiffened. His emotions must have slipped out of his grip and began showing on his face.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay, you just looked a little freaked out. Sorry if I spooked you a bit coming up behind you like that,” Sero gave an apologetic smile and grabbed a pair of gloves.

“You didn’t spook me,” Shouto lied.

“Okay, just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

Sero walked to the greenhouse, shutting the door behind him. Shouto watched him leave, making sure to note anything around the room that could be used as a weapon if Sero was the Imposter. He decided that his best bet would be the heavy fire extinguisher by the door. 

He stood in front of his work station, checking his computer for his tasks for the day. There was nothing.  _ Odd.  _ He refreshed the page. Still nothing. Perhaps it was just taking a little longer than usual to send in to him?

While he waited for a notification, he checked the news. He already knew that the crew of the UA was all over. After all, Shouto was still technically a celebrity, like it or not. Everyone in the galaxy wanted to know if the son of the  _ great Todoroki Enji  _ was going to make it out of this situation alive. It honestly disgusted him. These people who had never met him were pretending to care about his well being. They didn’t even mention the rest of his crew mates, save for a passing mention of Yaoyorozu in one article. It turned out her parents are super rich, so she mattered a little bit to the media. 

He clicked another article titled “ _ Will Todoroki Enji’s Son Survive Imposter Attack? Here’s What Experts Say. _ ” Wow, they didn’t even use Shouto’s name. The article had a video of his father being interviewed. 

“I am so worried for my son, but he is strong. He will make it through this. He is my son, after all.” His father spoke into the mic. His father hadn’t even messaged Shouto to see if he was okay, yet here he was pretending to be a caring father. Shouto was young when Touya’s crew faced an Imposter, but even he remembered that his father (and everyone else, truthfully) didn’t care about that. 

Shouto felt the urge to punch the computer, but he didn’t. He scrolled down the page instead. Apparently, experts believed he would live. He still didn’t know who the fuck these experts were and what they were experts in, but at least their predictions were positive. Supposedly, according to these experts, his “superior quirk” and the training he received from his father were going to be enough to escape or even possibly defeat the Imposter. 

He read the last paragraph of the article, headache already beginning to grow as they praised his father. He stopped suddenly at the last sentence, blinking. He reread it. And then read it again. “ _ We send our best wishes to Shouto and the rest of the UA crew! Shouto’s similarities to his father give us hope that he will make it out safe and sound! _ ” 

He felt sick. 

He shut the computer, not even caring about whether today’s task was sent out for him or not. He rubbed his face, sighing. Maybe he would be better off dead. He didn’t want to be like his father. 

He sat up straighter, glaring at the stupid computer before standing up an walking towards the greenhouse door. He hesitated, staring at the fogged-up glass window on the top of the door. He frowned, hand reaching for the doorknob. It was time to test a theory.


	7. Sometimes Self Care is Trying Drugs Once and Never Doing Them Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title: I know what you are... Say it... Say it out loud.
> 
> Warnings: suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide(?), recreational drug use

Mist fell in temperate pastel showers, dotting the plants below with water droplets. Humidity hung in the warm air. It felt cramped and just a little too warm, but it was just the way that Sero liked it. 

The greenhouse was the most chaotic room on the UA. The ship was full of pristine labs and wires and steel, but the greenhouse was wild and untamed and free. The ground, save for a few stony pathways, was covered by dark, wet soil. Plants from all over the galaxy grew up from it. Twisting trunks reached for the artificial sunlight on the ceiling. Heavy leaves drip-dropped water to the damp soil. Flowers of every colour opened tear-stained petals and faced the "sky".

It looked like a rainforest. Green broad-leaved trees towered above the ground (as far as they could tower before reaching the ceiling and thinning out, at least). Thick vines clung to tree trunks and spilled to the floor. Strange fruits hung heavy from stems.

Despite what one might believe, plants on other planets were not all that different from plants found on Earth, at least in structure. Some of Sero's favourite plants actually took in glucose and CO2 and put out oxygen, water, and light. Those plants glowed. 

The majority of the plants used photosynthesis, which was slightly less cool, but still cool to a plant nerd like Sero. Green dominated the room, though different colours-mostly the deep crimson of the plants that grew on shader planets- peaked through every once in a while. Gaining energy from the stars seemed to be an almost universal constant. 

Sero enjoyed the life of it all. The stifling sterility of the labs made him feel trapped. But this room, the greenhouse, made him feel free and at home.

Sometimes he had to go into the labs to perform tests or analyse materials, but mostly he just grew the plants. 

He sat trimming off leaves from a mushroom-like plant they gathered from Polus. Todoroki needed some to feed a colony of the planet's native bacteria he was studying. The leaves were crimson and smooth, with white veins twisting intricate shapes on the dark red canvas. The larger leaves extended from the sack, while smaller, pointier leaves sprouted from the skirt. The stem and the cap were both a pearly, translucent white.

When he was done tucking the leaves into a basket, he checked the corner behind a couple of berry bushes to check on his secret.

His “secret” was a couple of young marijuana plants. Usually, he wouldn't smoke on the job but God dammit it was getting stressful around here. He started to push past the tangled bushes when the door swung open.

* * *

Shouto stepped into the room. The heavy mist falling from the ceiling dampened his hair. The water dribbled down his face. He pushed his bangs back, clearing his line of sight. Fear hammered in his heart but something else too- A feeling that bordered on elation. If his hunch was correct- which it was- he could save everyone else. So what if he dies in the process? It's better that way.

Better to die then become his father. 

He scanned the room for Sero and found him standing by some bushes. He walked forward, confidence radiating off him in waves.

"I know you're hiding something!" He accused Sero.

Sero visibly gulped and glanced behind the bushes he stood in front of. "You do?"

Shouto nodded, determination flooding his chest, "Kill me."

"Uh… what?"

“Stop pretending. I know exactly who you are.”

“And what am I?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you’re the Imposter. Now kill me before I tell everyone else.”

“Bro, are you okay? I’m not the Imposter. I don’t wanna kill you. An-and why do you wanna die anyways?”

“How do I know you aren’t just refusing to kill me to make me think you’re not the Imposter?”

“I’m pretty sure if I was the Imposter, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But can we get back to the-“ Sero was cut off.

“You’re hesitating because you don’t want to prove you are the Imposter.”

“No?! The fuck!? Can we please slow down for a moment and get back to the part where you want me to kill you? Is that some kind of bluff or something? ‘Cuz it sounds pretty messed up man.”

“I’m not bluffing. I’m being serious. I-“

“Look, dude, chill out. I can try to show you I’m not the Imposter. Just get over here, let’s sit down and talk, okay?”

“You only want me over there so you can kill me.”

“Okay, as much as I think Bakugou is mean for making fun of you by blasting that Katy Perry song when you walk into the room, he is starting to make sense. One moment you wanna get killed and the next you don’t. You are all over the place. Just calm down and take a seat.” Shouto sat down, still eyeing Sero suspiciously. This was the big test. Either Sero killed him, or he didn't.

Sero sat beside him, though not too close. He crossed his legs and leaned back until he was resting against a pitch-black tree trunk. He looked as relaxed as always.

“I don’t know how to calm you down, man. So talk to me or something, I don’t know,” he fished a joint out of his pocket and lit it under the shelter of a large leaf.

“I don’t really wanna talk about it,” Shouto was still surprised Sero hadn’t killed him. He was obviously the Imposter, right?

“It’s chill. Everyone’s been struggling. If you don’t wanna talk about it you don’t have to. I just wanna make sure you don’t end up hurting yourself or someone else.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Shouto scoffed, picking at the hard-packed soil beside where he sat.

“Just moments ago you wanted me to kill you. I don’t know anything about mental health but I’m pretty sure suicidal thoughts aren’t good for you.” Sero said harshly but in a "tough love" sort of way. So he wasn’t the Imposter. The Imposter wouldn’t care about Shouto’s mental health. Embarrassment and shame stained his cheeks hot-red as he realized how much of a fool he probably looked to Sero right now. He needed to stop coming to conclusions so quickly.

“I was looking at the news. From Earth,” Shouto burst out.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been reading the articles where they see we are all gonna die except for you and maybe Yao-Momo,” Sero winced. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to get yourself killed just to like- I don’t know- prove the journalists wrong?”

“I was and yes… I wanted to prove them wrong,” Shouto said. It wasn’t really a lie. It was technically true but he was just leaving out details. Like the stuff with his dad. Sero wouldn’t understand the conflicting relationship Shouto had with his father. He probably needed to talk to Midoriya about it instead.

_[Shouto will be just like Enji._

_His left side- it reminds me of him..._

_Wow, it must be awesome to have Todoroki Enji for a father._

_You look so much like your father!_

_Why do you want to be a biologist? You should be a captain like your dad!]_

These stupid quotes entered his head again and he had to keep himself from physically recoiling at the horrible disgust he felt when people said stuff like this. He could feel a headache begin its drum beats in the back of his head.

“Can I have one?” Shouto gestured to the joint in Sero’s hand.

“I didn’t take you for the stoner type.”

“I’m not. I’ve never had it before. Seems like now might be a good time to try though. We’re probably all going to die in a few days anyways.” It wasn’t funny but they both laughed like they were watching a comedy. It was a mixture of nerves and hopelessness that fueled their laughter.

“Okay dude, just be careful,” Sero finally broke through the last few wheezes of laughter and handed a joint to Shouto. He looked like he was also about to hand Shouto the lighter, but Shouto summoned a minuscule flame and lit it with his hand. He put it to his lips and breathed in.

Then he coughed violently and turned away. It felt like inhaling fire and tasted like someone figured out how to make "skunk" a flavour. “This is disgusting! What the hell?”

“Guess it’s sort of an acquired taste,” Sero laughed at him, breathing out a puff of smoke.

“It’s awful,” Shouto grumbled, but he tried again. This time his body was more used to the feeling of breathing in the foreign substance. It still tasted awful though and he wasn’t quite sure he liked the tight feeling that pinched his lungs when he breathed in.

"Yeah, I don't like this," Shouto scrunched up his face. Sero chuckled again and took the joint away.

"You know, you don't talk much," Sero stated the obvious, "but all the same I think you're a pretty chill guy. I don't want you getting hurt out there, you know. Take care of yourself. If anything gets really bad, Captain might be able to help you out a bit. He could hook you up to vid-chat with a therapist. He might even be able to get you some anxiety medicine or antidepressants."

"How do you know all this?"

"Well, I can't do this," he gestured to the joint,"all the time… oh, and do me a favour: don't tell anyone I've got this stuff." Shouto nodded. He wouldn't tell.

"Have you been okay?" Shouto asked. He didn't know how to comfort Sero the way Sero comforted him, but this felt like a step in the right direction.

"Honestly? Not great. This whole thing scares me, y'know? I try so hard to be the chill guy. I just wanna go with the flow and live life to the fullest. It's hard to do that in this… situation. Especially when I know that I am alive but other people aren't. Sometimes it makes me wanna hide away or go to sleep and never wake up, but I keep pushing through- for them. Tsu and Denki can't be here right now so I'm going to live life like I'm living it for them. I wanna know that if I died tomorrow I would feel good about my decisions. I'm not gonna passively meet my fate. I wanna burn bright until I burn out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Sero so much. I just love him for no reason. 
> 
> Are you convinced Sero is innocent? Do you think anyone is sus? Do you wanna yell praise for me in the comments? Go ahead and tell me down below!
> 
> Art is mine.


	8. Spiders And a Wee Bit Of Existential Dread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short but focuses more on character building/dynamics.  
> Warnings: mentions of suicidal thoughts

"Shouto?" The door to the greenhouse swung open revealing a very worried-looking Izuku and a slightly pissed off Bakugou. 

" _ Shouto _ , eh?" Sero turned to Shouto with a shit-eating grin.

"Nice going Icy-hot. You gave this nerd an aneurysm 'cuz he thought you died." Bakugou grumbled.

"You're okay! What are you doing in here?" Izuku pulled Shouto to his feet and hugged him. He was warm and smelled like citrus.

"Sero and I were just hanging out," Shouto pulled away from the hug.

"Okay."

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Oh, remember how I told you I would convince Kacchan to let me come over and see you? Well, that's what I did!"

"You fucking lied to me so you could see your stupid boyfriend?" Bakugou scoffed.

"I'm not stupid. Also I am not anyone's boyfriend," Shouto said, but Sero laughed loudly, obviously not believing him.

"I didn't lie! Not really! I said I needed something from the bio lab, and I do! But, I also could have probably gotten it from the chem lab," Izuku grinned mischievously and rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Fuck this. Fuck you. Fuck everyone," Bakugou started towards the door. He had stayed long enough in the room that his hair was dripping wet and he resembled a very angry cat who has just been given a bath.

"Wait!" Sero, surprisingly, stopped him. 

"What do you want, Soy Sauce?" Bakugou asked.

"First off, don't call me Soy Sauce. It was one time, okay!" Sero began, "and secondly, isn't your goal to get Midoriya off your hands? We can switch and let Midoriya annoy Todoroki rather than you," Sero winked at Shouto.

"Why are you winking at me-"

"Shh!" Sero interrupted, winking at him again. "So, what do ya say, Bakugou?" 

"I'll do it if you shut the fuck up," Bakugou glared at Sero, who mimed zipping his lips. 

"Okay. Halfie, Deku- you two can stay in the bio lab and… I don't know, fuck or whatever it is you're tryna do. Me and Elbows here are gonna go to the chem lab."

Bakugou stomped away and Sero followed, playfully sending them an obscene gesture before turning back around.

Shouto and Izuku watched them leave, both surprised that Sero managed to pull that off. He would make an excellent wingman, were they trying to date. 

They left the greenhouse and sat on the tall wooden stools in front of the counters in the bio lab. The stools were wobbly and one was just slightly taller than the other- though both were tall enough to leave you towering uncomfortably over the counters. For this reason, Shouto often elected to stand as he worked.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Izuku asked. "I know you said you're fine, but you seem a bit… distracted. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, of course! I just- I worry."

"I'm okay. I think. I don't know. Things just don't feel real."

"I know what you mean."

"Something has been bothering me. I talked to Sero about it a little, and he's nice- he just- he wouldn't understand."

"Is it something to do with your dad?"

Shouto nodded,"I was searching the news and they just keep comparing me to my father. I know, it's stupid- but… I don't know why it bothers me. I- Everytime they say I'm just like him, I think of my mother. I don't wanna be someone who hurts people. I don't want to be like- like him. It's dumb; I should just get over it."

"It's not dumb. Your father doesn't show his true self to the public," Izuku laid a consoling hand on Shouto's shoulder. "If everyone else knew how he really is, I can promise they would  _ not  _ be comparing you to him. You are genuine and sweet and you care about other people. You are nothing like him, okay?"

"But what if I become like him?"

"You won't," Izuku spoke with confidence. It took a little weight off Shouto's chest. "You still seem a bit bothered. Did anything else happen?"

"I'm scared of myself," Shouto breathed out in a rush.

"Why?"

"I wanted to hurt myself. I read what the newspapers were saying and I wanted to- I wanted- I was going to kill myself," the last two words came out in a forced whisper.

"Shouto-"

"I thought Sero was the Imposter and I asked him to kill me," Shouto stares at the shine of the marble countertop- too ashamed to look at Izuku. "He talked me out of it, but I'm scared I might try again. Izuku, please don't let me hurt myself," he gathered the courage to glance at Izuku's wide, tearfilled eyes.

"Shouto," Izuku leaned forward and hugged him, "I will never let anyone hurt you, especially not yourself. Don't hurt yourself. People care about you."

"The people who say they care about me always hurt me in the end," Shouto could feel himself hyperventilating.

"I care about you, and I will never  _ ever  _ hurt you. It- I hate that your father seems to control you so much- even now. I hate that being compared to him makes you want to hurt yourself. I hate everything he ever did to you. Please  _ please _ realize that you aren't him. You will never be him."

Shouto tried to nod as Izuku hugged him tighter. He let a few silent tears slip down his cheeks. He was never one to cry, and even when he did, he never made any noise. Crying was weakness, and weakness was beaten out of him before he even learned to write. Ever since he met Izuku, though, he was more comfortable letting out his emotions.

It felt good to cry. He held in his emotions for too long. He always buried any feelings- positive or negative- beneath a layer of ice too thick to melt. Every once in a while, the ice shattered, rocketing the pent up emotions outward and exploding in a horrible burst of anger and self-destructive tendencies. Now, the ice slowly softened to snow and then melted into water- the excess trickling down his face and staining Izuku's uniform. 

Time didn't seem to pass, but at some point the crying stopped and the only thing left were the dried tear-tracks on his face and the dull thump of his heart. Izuku had been crying too. It was apparent when he pulled away with glossy eyes and a red-stained face.

"Let's get cleaned up." Izuku stood and pulled Shouto with him. "We should probably get some actual work done too. Iida will be pretty mad if he finds out we got nothing down today. His head might actually explode." Shouto sniffed and choked out a hollow laugh.

"Also, you mentioned something about Sero being suspicious?" Izuku brought up after a couple seconds of silence.

"I don't think he is the Imposter anymore. He could have easily killed me, but he didn't."

"Well, if he did kill you, everyone would know it was him since you two have to work together."

"But he also tried to make me feel better. I feel like the Imposter wouldn't waste their time holding an impromptu therapy session with someone who they're gonna kill in a couple of days anyways."

Izuku shrugged and opened the computer, clicking around a bit. He eventually found what he was looking for and showed it to Shouto. 

"It looks like Iida already found out we're working together. He wants us to take a closer look at the _Polus_ _tenebris_ leaves," Izuku explained.

"Good. I was wondering when I'd get to do that. The leaf's cuticle is completely gone and I am trying to figure out if the upper epidermis is secreting anything other than the normal wax."

"Awesome! I wonder if the absence of the cuticle has something to do with the climate of its home planet… a colder climate would reduce the risk of evaporation, which means the leaf doesn't need a cuticle… maybe it secrets antifreeze proteins…" Izuku muttered to himself as he grabbed supplies from the shelves. He seemed to get lost in his own little world as he listed off the names of various lipids and proteins. It was kind of cute, in a bit of a dorky way, but it made Shouto smile nonetheless.

Shouto opened the cabinets that held the microscopes. The inside of the cabinet was dusty, and he only ever used one of the microscopes, so the rest were dust covered and probably rusted. The cabinet smelled like warm old wood and the iron-sharp scent of metal. 

He grabbed the microscope he always used (wish was also the one with the least damage) and heaved it into his arms. It wasn't quite heavy, but it was awkward to carry because of its shape. He saw movement just as he was about to close the cabinet. Blinking, he set the microscope on the counter and peered into the cabinet again. 

"There's a spider in here," Shouto warned Izuku. It was thin and spindly, though about the size of Shouto's thumb. This was his first time seeing a spider in person.

It scurried towards him on thin legs and he stepped backwards, afraid it might jump on him. He wasn't sure if spiders could jump, but he wasn't going to give it the benefit of the doubt. 

"Should I kill it?" Shouto asked.

"No," Izuku stood next to him and pushed him to the side. "Its just a small little guy. He can't hurt you." Izuku put one palm halfway beneath the cabinet and used his other hand to shoo the spider into it. When the spider was on his hand, he cupped his palms and held it so it couldn't get out.

"We should bring it to the greenhouse," Izuku said.

Shouto was too shocked to argue, so he led the way and held the greenhouse door open for Izuku, who deposited the spider into the leaf of a bush. He couldn't believe that Izuku had picked up the spider. 

Izuku closed the door when they rendered the lab. He walked towards the laptop to check over their task again, but Shouto just stood there, silently staring at him.

"Why…" Shouto whispered more to himself than anyone else.

"I don't know," Izuku answered. "I- I guess I just feel bad for spiders and bugs sometimes. They come into our houses and buildings and we kill them because… why? Because we think they are a nuisance?"

Shouto was confused, but Izuku continued. "Spiders- they don't know that this place is ours. They don't know that they are trespassing in someone's home because they don't know that rules like ours exist. That spider was probably born on this ship. It is as much our space as it is his. It seems cruel to end the life of a creature simply for existing. Simply because we don't like it," Izuku could have spoken in a harsh, accusing tone, but instead he spoke softly and earnestly. "I think that the most wonderful thing in the universe is that it is in a constant state of wanting to live. Every living thing is made to live as long as it can: to evolve, to have offspring, to live even at the expense of other beings. Each of us are always trying to adapt so we can live better than every other being, but the truth is that none of us is superior. As much as the universe gives us life, it also takes it away. We are all in a constant cycle of living and dying. So, sometimes, I think if I always let bugs go, or I grow plants in a garden, or if I do anything at all to let life continue- it makes me feel like I'm doing something. Like I'm helping the universe in some way- even if just a little- by letting something live."

"I've never thought about things that way," Shouto said. He wasn't sure what else to say. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the words.

"Its probably stupid. I'm just doing something dumb that makes me feel like I'm a hero."

"I don't think it is dumb."

Izuku looked at him quizzically. 

"I've always thought of life very clinically," Shouto continued. "You are born, you live, and then you die. But you have so much optimism for it, and I think that is a good way to live. I wish I could see the world through your eyes, because I think it would be a wonderful thing to see beauty in the things other people don't even stop to look at."

Izuku reached for Shouto's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I like you, Shouto. I like you a lot. You put up with my weirdness and you even say good things about it. I'm really happy I met you."

"I'm happy I met you too."


	9. Gay Panic and Getting stabbed in the Shower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Endeavor being an asshole, also someone gets stabbed

Izuku and Shouto finished up their lab work early. Izuku's theory that the leaves secreted biological antifreeze ended up being correct. Izuku rambled on about the possible uses of the biochemical as they walked to the dorms. Iida had made a rule that no one was really enforcing, which stated you could not wander around or loiter in the hallways. The majority of the crew didn't seem to care about the rule (unless Iida was walking by, of course), but Shouto's horrible fear of getting in trouble and Izuku's responsibility caused them to follow the rules. They were allowed to hang out in the dorms and cafeteria (as long as they are with someone) when they finished work. 

Shouto opened the door for Izuku and then followed after him, closing it softly. They were the only people in the room. 

"I am absolutely exhausted," Izuku sighed, running his hand through his curly hair. "I wish I could flop dramatically on the bed but I have the top bunk."

"You can flop dramatically onto my bed?" Shouto suggested.

Izuku's cheeks turned pink. He began to wave his arms around and shook his head, sputtering out something unintelligible.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, it's your bed. I don't want to mess up your sheets," Izuku calmed down a bit.

"I don't even do my bed. Ever."

"Besides, I need to take a shower anyway," Izuku continued, opening the chest at the trunk of their bunk beds which held their clothing.

"Okay. Have… fun… I don't know why I said that. Umm… bye?" Shouto was pretty sure he just messed up  _ that _ whole social interaction. It was pretty on par with the time Yaoyorozu said thank you and Shouto accidentally responded "bless you". The whole rest of the day the entire crew made jokes about Yaoyorozu secretly being a god. 

"It's okay, Shou."  _ Oh, so Izuku is calling him nicknames now?  _ "It was pretty cute- ermh- funny. Yeah, funny." Izuku reached an arm out and patted Shouto's head. He wanted to lean into the touch but he stayed still because leaning into it would probably make things weird and uncomfortable. 

Izuku draped a clean towel over his shoulder and disappeared through the bathroom door. Shouto sat in his bed, listening to one of the showers turn on.

Izuku called him cute. It wasn't the first time he had called Shouto cute or pretty or whatever else, but this was the first time Shouto actually  _ really _ thought about it. Izuku had admitted to having a crush on him pretty early into their friendship, but surely it was gone now, right? Izuku barely even knew Shouto when he confessed to his crush, but now that he  _ did  _ know Shouto, there is no way that crush still lingered.

Shouto wasn't even really sure why the crush happened in the first place. His hair and eyes contrasted horribly, his face had a giant scar on it, and he was probably the most undateable person known to man. He didn't even know how relationships are supposed to look! Surely the hideous scar and awkward personality was enough to drive away any man or woman. 

Yeah, there was no way Izuku still liked him like that.

_ But he calls you nicknames and holds your hand. He notices when you are sad. He remembers your favourite food even though you only told him once. He is always trying to get closer to you. _

Okay, so  _ maybe  _ Izuku still had a small crush on him. Or, maybe he was just a good friend. Either way, Shouto still couldn't figure out how  _ he  _ felt about Izuku. He was Shouto's first friend and one of the few people who knew his family's secret. Izuku made him happy, but that is what friends do, right? How the hell are you supposed to figure out if you love someone if you don't even know what love is supposed to feel like? 

No one ever taught Shouto what it feels like, though his research on the topic gave him a list of ways to know how. Unfortunately, the list only made things more confusing.

_ Do you dress to impress them? _ Well, no. He dresses in his uniform.

_ Do you give them a nickname only you know? _ No, he was never good at coming up with nicknames.

_ Do you miss them when they leave? _ Yes, but that also happens with friends, at least he was pretty sure!

_ Do you find them attractive?  _ You would have to be blind to think Izuku was unattractive. 

_ Do you have similar interests?  _ Well, they're both biologists.

_ Do you want to be physically close to them? _ Yes. Yes he does.

_ Do you fantasize about having sex with them?  _ Shouto didn't fantasize about that with  _ anyone _ . Men can't even get pregnant so what would be the point of doing that?!

_ Do you spend lots of time thinking about them? _ ... that… well, him researching how to tell if you like someone with Izuku in mind didn't look so good here. He  _ did  _ think about Izuku a lot. He was kind and funny and courageous and smart. Everything he did made Shouto happy. Even just  _ seeing  _ Izuku made him feel happier and calmer. And he worried about Izuku a lot too. He was always afraid something bad would happen, or that Izuku would suddenly stop liking him, or that Izuku would start treating someone else the way he treats Shouto- holding their hand, talking to them all the time, hugging them. 

So maybe, Shouto liked Izuku more than a friend.  _ Maybe _ . But that doesn't mean anything!

Honestly, emotions were scary to Shouto. He had gotten so good at pressing them down until they didn't exist anymore that anytime they bubbled up he panicked. It was usually just better to ignore his feelings all together and replace it with the numbing cold of apathy. The strange thing was that he didn't necessarily  _ want  _ to push down the feelings that he got around Izuku. They were nice. They made his skin tingle and his mouth hurt from smiling so much, but they also pushed away the anxiety and self doubt that always managed to avoid being hidden away. He kind of liked it, but at the same time he was afraid.

What if he messed up? What if Izuku didn't like him like that anymore? What if Izuku returned these feelings but rejected him later? He didn't think he would be able to handle that.

Instead, he did what he had always done best: shut up, put on a mask, and shove your emotions far away enough that they can't reach you anymore. 

Focusing on something else was sure to get his mind off his best friend. He looked around the dorm, trying to think of something to do. He ended up opening his personal computer and began typing out an email to his mother. He hadn't talked to her since that last vid-chat. Hopefully the nurses at the hospital were keeping the news away from her. He was sure the possibility of losing another son to imposters would break her heart even more than it had already been broken. All those years in the hospital were also years of slow, painstaking healing. Shouto didn't want to be the one to cause her further pain. He didn't want to be the one to make her lose her progress.

He left out everything about the imposter attacks, but he wrote to his mother about all the fun projects he was working on. He also told her about his friends. He talked about how Iida tried to be stern and failed miserably, how Uraraka seemed so kind and sweet but was actually kind of scary, how Yaoyorozu made him an eraser with her quirk and coloured it like his hair, how Jirou blasted music in the reactor, how Bakugou screamed at everyone but seemed decent enough, how Mina offered to paint his fingernails pink. Every good moment, however brief, he described to his mother.

Then, he told her about Izuku. This passage was longer than the passages about anyone else. He told her about Izuku's eternal bed-head, the way he talked to himself under his breath, the way he let the spider survive because he valued all life. He could write pages about his best friend, but he tried not to. When he finally finished writing everything he wanted to tell his mother, he re-read the draft, proof-reading for mistakes. He wrote a  _ lot  _ about Izuku.

Definitely because he hangs out with him the most.

Yes, that is why.

When he fixed the couple of typing mistakes, Shouto hit send. He didn't know what time it was in Japan now, so he wasn't sure when to expect an answer. 

He closed the laptop and set it aside. He slumped onto the bed, spreading his arms and legs as he stretched. 

He needed to put on pajamas.

Shouto changed out of his uniform and changed into the warm cyan pajamas. They were soft on the inside and felt comfortable against his skin, especially compared to the synthetic fabric of the spacesuits. He collapsed onto the bed, staring at the metal slats of the bunk above. He lifted his right hand and traced trails of frost across the shiny metal. He used to do that a lot, when he was younger. He used to draw people, spaceships, or Earth animals his tutors taught him about. Nowadays, he wouldn't even be able to think of what to draw. His imagination was crushed out of him long ago. He could only draw spirals now, overlapping with each other and melting slowly in icy drops of water. 

The frost melted droplets on his face, scattering cold water like freckles across his nose and cheeks. He wondered if he would have had freckles if he grew up on Earth, rather than the sunless tundra of Polus. Maybe his skin would be dark and freckle-speckled like Izuku's. More likely he would just be terribly sunburned all the time. He had inherited his mother's porcelain skin tone, so it was unlikely he would have tanned at all. It was more likely he would've just gotten skin cancer or something instead. 

Distantly, he heard the shower turn off in the other room. He stopped tracing patterns onto the bunk bed, letting his arm flop onto the mattress and huffing out a sigh. A few bored moments of silently staring at the wall passed before his personal phone rang from its place on the drawer at the end of the bed.

He sat up, unplugging the phone and angling it so he could see the screen. It took him a moment to confirm that he was seeing things right.

His father was calling him.

His finger hovered over the buttons on the screen. Why was his father calling him? What did he want? 

Shouto was about to press the red decline button, but he hesitated. His father said he was trying to change. Maybe he cared. Maybe he actually wanted to know how Shouto was doing. What if this was the last time he would have a chance to talk to his father?

He pressed accept and shakily brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Shouto, what took you so long to pick up?"

"Sorry. I was checking over my emails."

A moment of awkward silence.

"So… why are you calling me?" Shouto asked.

"What, I'm not allowed to call my own son?" His father's tone became dangerously harsh.

"No, I just wanted to know what you want to talk about because things are a bit busy right now," he lied. 

"Okay. How are you?"

"Fine."

"What sort of work have you been doing? Your new captain isn't letting you slack, is he?"

"No, we're working hard! And I've been analysing plants mostly."

Another silence. 

"How have you been?" Shouto asked. He didn't actually care how his father was doing, but he would do anything to end the silence.

"I've been worried about you," his father said. Shouto couldn't tell if the concern in his tone was genuine or not.

"You said on the news that I would be fine," Shouto pointed out. If his father really thought he would be fine, then he wouldn't be worrying, right?

"I'm confident in your abilities, but that doesn't mean I can't worry," he sounded too soft and kind. This was odd, foreign. He sounded nothing like the awful abuser Shouto knew. Was this really a change of heart or was his father playing some kind of mind game with him?

"And speaking of the news," his father continued, "several channels have reached out to me. They want to hear from you personally." Oh, so he was just calling to accomplish a goal.

"I don't really want to. I have enough to worry about right now. Adding the media in will just make things worse."

"We've talked about this,  _ boy.  _ If you want to have any chance of surpassing All Might, you need to have a media presence."

"Maybe I don't want to surpass All Might," Shouto hissed. "Have you ever considered that I am my own person? I'm not you, and I will never be you."

"Oh, I know what this is all about," his father was using that tone of voice that meant he was going to say something awful next. "You don't want to talk to the news because you don't want people to see what your mother did to your face."

White-hot rage exploded in Shouto's chest. His grip on the phone tightened until his hand ached from the strain. 

"Don't call me again," Shouto warned. He hung up and tossed the phone onto the bed, glaring at it. Frustration gripped his body harshly. He clenched his hands into fists, straining against the urge to punch something. 

Finally, the wave of anger passed and he relaxed as much as he could. Exhaustion settled deep within him and his muscles ached. 

He plugged his phone back in and laid on the bed again, staring at the wall and trying to think of anything other than his stupid father and the stupid media and this stupid, stupid situation. 

He heard something fall to the floor in the bathroom, followed by a muffled curse. Hopefully Izuku was alright. 

Then he heard a metallic clang. 

Surely it was just something else being dropped?

He stood up and hovered his hand over his comm device just in case.

The lights flickered out.

He heard Izuku scream.

Panic ripped through him and he launched himself at the door. It was locked. He pounded on the metal, yanked on the doorknob, slammed his whole body against the door over and over again but it still wouldn't budge. 

"Help!" He shouted into his comm,"in the dorms, the bathroom! It's Izuku- he's hurt! Please help, I can't open the door!" 

Several voices squeaked through the comm device but he couldn't tell what they were saying. His heart beat too loudly, his blood rushed, he was hyperventilating. 

"Help!" He heard Izuku call weakly from inside the bathroom.

Shouto felt ice gathering on his arm and face as fear coursed through him. He put his hand by the door's edge and let the ice spread along the metal. The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees as the cracking ice covered the whole door. 

The energy it took to summon the ice left Shouto's head spinning. He fell to the floor, vision sputtering in and out. Faintly, he heard other people rush into the room. They were shouting. Someone hauled him upwards and set him on a bed. The lights clicked back on. His vision spun again and his ears began to ring.

He heard loud banging, even louder shouting, and then quiet.

_ Is Izuku okay? Are we too late?  _

The ringing in his ears suddenly dispersed, and he could make out words again. There was a rush of activity all around him.

"Is he okay?" Someone asked.

"Alive, but barely," someone answered.

Shouto stood, shaking, and stumbled to the center of the room where he could see Iida holding Izuku's limp body. Someone lightly grasped his arm, trying to lead him back to thr bed, but he shook them off and came closer. 

Izuku was still and pale. Blood covered his pajamas and Shouto could see a knife sticking out of his stomach. Izuku's eyes fluttered open. 

"What-" he gasped, struggling to stay conscious. "Shou?" 

"We need to do stitches immediately," Yaoyorozu said. Iida set Izuku on the floor and allowed Yaoyorozu to pull out a first aid kit and get to work. Shouto kneeled on the ground beside Izuku, holding his hand. 

Yaoyorozu gently took out the knife and began to clean Izuku's wound. He hissed in pain as the antimicrobial liquid touched the wound, squeezing Shouto's hand.

When Yaoyorozu pulled out a sterile needle and surgical thread Shouto looked away. He had had enough stitches over the course of his life to know that the sight of the needle sewing skin together was enough to make him squeamish. 

After what felt like an hour but was probably much shorter, the stitches were finished. Izuku was asleep, though his condition was stable. They moved Izuku onto Shouto's bed (with his permission of course). Shouto stayed by him the whole time, refusing to let go of his hand. 

"What the fuck happened," Bakugou was the first to speak.

"The lights and then he screamed and the door wouldn't open," Shouto was so exhausted and adrenaline filled that he couldn't even put the words into a sentence that made any sense. 

"We had to break the door," Mina said. 

"Thank you for icing it, Todoroki," Iida said. "The ice made the hinges brittle and we were able to break the door down much more easily."

"I was hoping it would do that," Shouto said.

"Did you see anyone?" Uraraka asked.

"No. I think they came in through the vent in the bathroom. I heard metal slam."

"So we have to wait for Midoriya to wake up?" Kirishima asked.

Everyone nodded.

"It doesn't make sense, why did the imposter leave him alive?" Bakugou wondered aloud. 

"Maybe they heard Shouto coming and got scared," Jirou offered. 

"Or they were taking too long and they needed to get back before someone noticed their absence," Momo theorized. 

"Why were you and Midoriya together anyway?" Jirou asked. "I thought Midoriya was with Bakugou and you were with Sero."

"We switched for a bit. Deku and Icy Hot needed to work together," Bakugou explained for him. 

"We should postpone the meeting until Midoriya wakes up and is feeling better," Iida said. "For now, let's all rest. Todoroki, take Midoriya's bed since he is in yours right now."

"I'll stay here for now. I wanna make sure he is okay," Shouto stated.

"Understandable. Just make sure you get some sleep too."

Shouto nodded. He didn't think he was going to be getting any sleep, though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to follow me on Tumblr! Or don't. That's okay too.


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